Lakers among teams expected to be interested in Kyrie Irving

Kyrie Irving reportedly requested a trade with the Brooklyn Nets on Friday, just six days before the 2023 NBA trade deadline. Multiple reports have suggested that talks over a contract extension between the Nets and Irving weren’t going the way the All-Star guard wanted, and as a result he told the team he’d like to go elsewhere.

That begs the question: Which teams are interested in playing for Irving? According to a number of reports, the Los Angeles Lakers are looking to renew their hunt for the Mercurial guard over the summer, while the Dallas Mavericks see him as a backcourt partner for Luka Doncic and the Phoenix Suns believe he would make a good addition to their roster.

ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski confirmed the Lakers are expected to go after Irving, adding that he remains interested in teaming up with LeBron James and Anthony Davis.

Over the summer, the Lakers were a popular potential landing spot for Irving when it emerged the Nets were going to blow things up following Kevin Durant’s trade request. While Durant eventually withdrew his trade request, Los Angeles appears to have been poised to acquire Irving should the opportunity arise, though they will have some competition for his services.