The Los Angeles Lakers saw their season come to an end on Monday night as they were swept by the Denver Nuggets in the Western Conference Finals. As is normally the case for any big Lakers game, there were some stars in attendance, but two in particular stood out in All-Star point guards Trae Young and Kyrie Irving.
This isn’t Irving’s first appearance at a Lakers game and he has long been linked to the franchise as a potential target in free agency, but Young is a different story. Rumors began just before the postseason that the Atlanta Hawks star would be on the trade block this offseason and apparently the Lakers have at least discussed the possibility of acquiring him.
According to Jovan Buha of The Athletic, the Lakers have had internal discussions about a potential trade for Young this summer:
For what it’s worth, Kyrie Irving and Trae Young, two All-Star-level point guards, were both sitting courtside in Los Angeles for the second time this postseason. Young, like James and Davis, is a Klutch client. The Lakers have had internal discussions about what a hypothetical trade offer for Young could look like this summer, according to multiple league sources not authorized to speak publicly.
The Lakers front office is always thinking about how they can improve the team and when a player as talented as Young is known to be on the block, it would make sense that they would at least have a talk about whether or not he is a fit and what it would take to trade for him. It doesn’t necessarily mean that the Lakers are all-in on going after him, but simply that his name has been brought up.
After an impressive, but unexpected run to the Western Conference Finals the Lakers have a lot of questions going into the offseason. In particular, the team has a number of free agents that they must decide whether to keep or not including Austin Reaves, D’Angelo Russell, Rui Hachimura and Dennis Schroder.
The Lakers have always been a franchise built on stars and if they remain intent on adding another big name into the fold, Trae Young at least seems to be under consideration if they can get him at the right price.
Lakers’ LeBron James considering retirement this offseason
An even bigger question surrounding the Lakers in the immediate aftermath of their elimination is the future of LeBron James. With his 20th NBA season officially in the books, LeBron made it clear that he is unsure about his NBA future.
Recent reports state that James is considering retirement and has a lot to think about this offseason. Considering he would be 39 next season and could still need foot surgery this offseason, it makes sense for the Lakers superstar to weigh all his options.
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