Two players the Lakers consider off limits for Kyrie Irving trade revealed
The Lakers are interested in trading with the Nets for Kyrie Irving but there are two young players they are not willing to send to Brooklyn in the deal.
Kyrie Irving asking for a trade turned up the heat on the race to the NBA trade deadline. Now, teams like the Lakers, Suns, Mavericks and others will be scrambling to put together a package worthy enough to land the All-Star guard.
The Lakers are definitely interested, according to Jovan Buha of The Athletic. LeBron James is also on board and advocating for the deal, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN.
Los Angeles has the necessary draft capital to make a trade happen. However, they’re also not willing to put everyone on the table.
Off-limits Lakers players for Kyrie Irving trade revealed
Austin Reaves and Max Christie aren’t going to be part of a deal that sends them to Brooklyn, Buha reported (subscription required).
“Protecting one of those [first-round draft] picks could result in the Nets asking for the Lakers to perhaps include Austin Reaves or Max Christie, two of the Lakers’ promising young role players,” Buha wrote. “The Lakers aren’t interested in including either in a potential package, according to those sources.”
Reeves in his second season with the team after going undrafted out of Oklahoma. The 24-year-old shooting guard is averaging 10.8 points, 3.1 rebounds and 2.2 assists in 28.9 minutes per game.
LA picked Christie with the 35th pick in the 2022 NBA Draft out of Michigan State. He has played in 33 games so far this season with two starts. He’s averaging 14.5 minutes per game with 3.8 points, 2.2 rebounds and 0.5 assists.
It makes sense for Los Angeles to try to hold onto Reeves and Christie considering the draft picks they have already dealt or would have to deal to get Irving. They’ll want to keep some promising young players around for the future.
Still, if it was Reeves or Christie or bust for Irving, it would be interesting to see how the Lakers would proceed.
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