Lakers trade rumors: Kyrie Irving, Trae Young and Donovan Mitchell are potential targets this summer, according to report

The Lakers took a patient approach Thursday and decided not to make a move despite weeks and months of rumors that they wanted to move D’Angelo Russell before the trade deadline. But as February 8th approached, that began to change, as Russell began playing his best basketball in a Lakers uniform. Suddenly reported talks between them and the Atlanta Hawks to pick up guard Dejounte Murray fell through, and LA opted to stick with their roster as it is currently constructed for the remainder of the season.

While there were probably those who thought the Lakers should have made some moves at the deadline to improve a team that finished ninth in the Western Conference with a 27-26 record, the Lakers were potentially hurting themselves by not making a move now. Are in a position to move forward. A big deal this offseason. According to Jovan Buha of The Athletic, L.A. is expected to acquire three tradeable first-round picks this summer, the kind of ammo needed to land a star player, which the Lakers are hoping to accomplish in the offseason .

With a trio of first-round picks at his disposal this summer, Buha reported that three potential targets for the Lakers are Kyrie Irving, Trae Young and Donovan Mitchell, which would be in line with CBS Sports’ Bill Reiter’s reporting from Thursday on the Lakers. ‘Interested in adding Young or Mitchell to their roster this summer. The Lakers’ interest in Irving has been well-reported, and L.A. narrowly missed out on acquiring him at last season’s deadline because Brooklyn liked Dallas’ trade package better. Irving re-signed with the Mavericks this summer, but that doesn’t mean he or Dallas wouldn’t have interest in a trade if L.A. is willing to acquire draft picks, that was confirmed after two moves on Thursday That the Mavericks are missing something. that they Will not control any of their first-round picks from 2027 to 2030, Irving also has a history of playing with LeBron James in Cleveland, where the two won a championship together in 2016. A reunion wouldn’t be surprising at all, but Irving comes with baggage and an injury history that has forced him to miss time already. 22 games this season.

Trying to bring in Young would be an interesting pivot for the Lakers who were trying to trade for their backcourt partner in Murray just a few weeks ago, but rumors spread shortly after the deadline that Young could be traded this summer. May be available. If that’s the case, it’s a path LA should definitely consider. Young is a prolific offensive player, a three-time All-Star and would provide the Lakers with the exact type of scoring injection they want next to James and Anthony Davis. He’s also only 25 years old, so if James goes through retirement in a few years either because he wants a new challenge elsewhere, L.A. will still have Young and Davis to build around.

But if young Is Despite him being available this summer, LA will be far from the only team competing for his services. The same is true of Donovan Mitchell, who will enter the fourth year of the five-year rookie max extension he signed in 2020. Mitchell has been a player who has been talked about as a trade candidate since he was waived by the Utah Jazz. Cavaliers in 2022, but Cleveland has not made him available through trades. The Cavs have also been successful since Mitchell joined the team, and are currently the No. 2 seed in the East with a 9–1 record in their last 10 games.

If Mitchell were available, either because Cleveland wanted to trade him or he asked to settle elsewhere, the New York Knicks would likely be the most aggressive team to land him, as they did when he asked out of Utah. Tried to get him. The Knicks have been making incredibly savvy moves recently, being the No. 4 team in the East, and equipped with the draft picks to facilitate a trade of that magnitude. Therefore, if the Lakers want to compete with a team like the Knicks or 76ers, they will have to give their best package, which can also prepare a strong package to acquire the third star.

Regardless of what the Lakers’ goals are, it’s clear they plan to make big plays in the offseason despite their inactivity at the deadline. We’ll just have to see if that aggression translates into a star player capable of getting this team back into the conversation of championship contenders.