3 biggest Lakers offseason regrets that have come back to haunt them
By Lior Lampert
1. Not trading for Kyrie Irving
The Lakers inked Gabe Vincent to a three-year deal in light of the news that All-Star guard Kyrie Irving was re-signing with the Dallas Mavericks, with whom the Lakers had extensive internal discussions about whether or not they should pursue him via trade or free agency, per ESPN’s Ramona Shelburne.
While there are documented off-court concerns that come with Irving, he has avoided any issues during his time with the Mavs, and his relationship with LeBron James and ability to uplift the Lakers into the upper echelon of contending teams cannot be overlooked.
Los Angeles’ offense has been stuck in the mud throughout the 2023-24 campaign, currently ranking 24th in the NBA in offensive efficiency rating (108.2). They desperately need another on-ball playmaker and shot-creator, which Irving could’ve provided.
Instead, they opted to preserve their long-term roster flexibility by making smaller-scale offseason additions and betting on continuity, retaining players like D’Angelo Russell, Austin Reaves, and Rui Hachimura, who all played critical roles in the Lakers reaching the Western Conference Finals last season.
If the Lakers had Irving, the trajectory of their season and the West playoff picture would look much different than it does now. However, we’ll never know and always wonder what could’ve been.
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