Rumors aren’t going away, so it may be time to discuss them more seriously. Kyrie Irving going to the Lakers feels like a far-fetched possibility. But where there is smoke, there is fire, and when it comes to Carey, there is a lot of smoke.
On this week’s episode of “Can U Dig It” on the Silver Screen & Roll web podcast, I welcome Lakers Outsider OG and longtime Lakers fan Gary Kester to talk about Kyrie and the Lakers and how things look like.
Before we dive in, we wrap up the 2022 NBA draft with a brief look at the Lakers’ selection of Michigan State power wing Max Christie with the No. 35 pick. Then we look at the Lakers’ remaining post-draft work, including their two-way signings in Cole Swede and Scottie Pippen Jr. and the summer league signing of Sharif O’Neal.
After that, we switch to the topic of Kyrie. Although it’s a crazy idea, it seems to have at least some legs. From an on-court basketball perspective, swapping Russell Westbrook for Kyrie couldn’t be more appropriate. The large sample size of Carey playing alongside LeBron provides plenty of reasons to believe it will be a very successful experiment.
But it’s impossible to discuss Carey without mentioning a litany of off-court concerns. Between injuries and his decision to leave basketball, Kyrie hasn’t been a solid player in recent seasons. Will changes in the environment affect his off-field problems? Will being around people like LeBron James, Phil Handy and Anthony Davis have a positive impact?
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