LeBron James

The Los Angeles Lakers appear to have a defined path back to contention this coming season. It involves reuniting LeBron James with former Cleveland Cavaliers teammate Kyrie Irving and building around a new Big Three of James, Irving and Anthony Davis.

This trio should be much more appealing to fans than last year's core of James, Davis and Russell Westbrook. Unlike Westbrook, Irving is a high-percentage shooter and a true perimeter threat.

Last season, he shot 46.9 percent from the floor and 41.8 percent from beyond the arc.

Irving's skill set complements James and Davis far better than what Westbrook brought to the table this past season. The good news is that Irving is on board with the idea.

"Irving is telling everybody he plans on going to L.A., meaning the Lakers, as soon as he possibly can," ESPN's Stephen A. Smith said Thursday on NBA Today.

The better news is that the wheels have already been set in motion for a trade that sends Westbrook to the Brooklyn Nets and brings Irving to L.A.

"The Los Angeles Lakers and Brooklyn Nets are actively engaged in discussions on a trade package that would send star point guard Russell Westbrook to Brooklyn in exchange for star point guard Kyrie Irving, league sources told Yahoo Sports," Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports wrote.

Pursuing Irving is the best course of action for the Lakers this offseason, and L.A. might just pull it off. However, fans need to realize that a trade isn't going to come together quickly. While the Nets are open to making a deal, several obstacles remain.

For starters, Brooklyn is also dealing with Kevin Durant's trade request, and that's going to take time to resolve. According to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski (h/t ESPN's Tom Bontemps), the Nets "plan to make a deal that allows them the greatest return of assets."

Presumably, a large portion of the league is interested in Durant, and Brooklyn is incentivized to let a bidding war dictate his market. The Nets are also likely to wait on Durant's future to unfold before moving on an Irving trade.

"I think Kyrie is going to have wait this out because we're not going to really know what the Nets are going to want to trade him for until we see what Kevin Durant gets traded for," ESPN's Brian Windhorst said on Get Up (h/t ClutchPoints).

Only after Brooklyn knows where its roster and cap situation stand post-Durant can it accurately judges what it wants in an Irving deal. ESPN NBA insider Brian Windhorst appeared on First Take on Friday to discuss Brooklyn's approach to Irving (beginning at the 4:30 mark).

"Nets have no interest in accommodating Kyrie Irving. They have no interest in doing it," Windhorst said.

According to Windhorst, the Nets don't view Irving as a valuable trade asset and may only consider moving him as "salary ballast."

This meshes with Haynes' report:

"They want shooting guard Joe Harris—who is recovering from left ankle surgery—and his remaining $38.6 million owed over the next two years included in the deal, sources said," Haynes wrote. The Lakers have been disinclined to the inclusion of Harris, and are instead seeking the insertion of sharpshooter Seth Curry as part of the arrangement, sources said."

If the Nets are going to swap Irving for Westbrook, they also want to unload another unwieldy contract. That's a problem for the Lakers, who are already in luxury-tax territory. Harris is due $18.6 million this season, while Irving is due $36.9 million.

Acquiring those two for Westbrook's $47 million contract would leave Los Angeles with roughly $8.5 million more in salary than it is currently projected to spend.

This is a point on which Brooklyn may be unwilling to budge. The Lakers are not the only team interested in acquiring Irving.

According to Shams Charania of The Athletic and Stadium, Irving has "several suitors" on the trade market—and that could include the Dallas Mavericks and Philadelphia 76ers:

Kyrie Irving has 'several suitors,' per @ShamsCharania

The 76ers, Lakers and Mavericks are all said to be interested pic.twitter.com/rjjI7tFTqS

— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) July 3, 2022

The problem for L.A. is that Dallas and Philadelphia both have lower projected payrolls than the Lakers. The other issue is Los Angeles' inflexibility on draft compensation—the Lakers have 2027 and 2029 first-round picks with which to work.

According to Haynes, draft compensation is an "ongoing talking point" between the Lakers and Nets.

Depending on which teams are eying Irving, Brooklyn may be able to get a better trade package than what Los Angeles can offer—and find a team more willing and able to take on Harris' contract.

As with Durant's situation, Brooklyn is likely to let things play out before flipping the switch on an Irving trade—even if a Durant deal comes together surprisingly quickly.

However, there is "palpable optimism" that a deal can be struck between the Nets and Lakers, according to Haynes. Irving-to-Los Angeles could very well happen, and it would make the Lakers a legitimate force in the Western Conference.

However, it isn't going to happen overnight, and Lakers fans will have to remain patient.

Former NBA guard J.R. Smith received praise from longtime PGA Tour star Fred Couples for the development of his golf game.

Smith, who plays college golf for North Carolina A&T, represented Team USA in the Icons Series, a match-play event featuring athletes from around the world. Couples was the Americans' captain.

The two-time NBA champion responded Saturday on Twitter to a clip where Couples singled him out as the biggest surprise of the week:

🤦🏾‍♂️ Man talking about humbling. Extremely excited about this man’s words! Thank you so much sir! I really had a ball and learned from you! Thank you thank you https://t.co/C0xaOVrWLS

— JR Smith (@TheRealJRSmith) July 2, 2022

Couples, the 1992 Masters winner, guided the U.S. to a victory over Team ROTW (Rest of the World), which was captained by four-time major champion Ernie Els at Liberty National Golf Club in New Jersey.

Smith recently finished his freshman season with the Aggies' golf team, and he was named one of the school's Academic Athletes of the Year after achieving a perfect 4.0 GPA.

LeBron James, who played alongside Smith with both the Cleveland Cavaliers and Los Angeles Lakers, shouted him out Saturday for the continued success away from basketball:

That's so dope Swish!! So damn happy and proud of you more and more each day!! https://t.co/XMPY8i2iCl

— LeBron James (@KingJames) July 2, 2022

Smith, 36, last played in the NBA with the Lakers during the 2019-20 season before shifting his focus to other endeavors.

Along with golf, he signed with Complexity, an esports gaming organization, in November.

NBA legend Kevin Garnett didn't take too kindly to Los Angeles Lakers big man Anthony Davis' recent acknowledgement that he hadn't shot a basketball in two months.

Speaking on Showtime Basketball's KG Certified, Garnett laid out his feelings on the matter (57:59 mark).

"That s--t killed me, bro. He said he ain't touched the rock?!" Garnett said (h/t ClutchPoints). "... He can be so much better than what he is. I don't know what's around him. I would love to be able to work with somebody like that."

KG gave AD serious compliments, though, saying he should shoot for the 2022-23 NBA MVP Award and that there's "no way he's probably not top-10, top-five in this game." Garnett encouraged Davis to "come into camp better in shape than anybody and everybody" and "take the torch" from LeBron James.

In a Nuke Squad video that dropped June 10, Davis said he hadn't shot a basketball since April 5:

Davis played just 40 games last year because of injuries. He averaged 23.2 points, 9.9 rebounds and 2.3 blocks.

He is one of the game's top players, an eight-time All-Star and four-time All-NBA first-team member who helped lead Los Angeles to the 2019-20 title.

Last year didn't go well for AD and the Lakers, who finished outside the playoffs with a 33-49 mark, but a rejuvenated Davis could certainly bring far greater success to L.A.

The Los Angeles Lakers have received a lot of betting interest recently even though they are coming off a 33-49 season and haven't made any major moves as of yet in free agency.

David Purdum of ESPN provided the report:

"In a 24-hour span, beginning Thursday afternoon, multiple sportsbooks reported receiving a surge of betting interest on the Lakers to win next season's championship. The Lakers' title odds moved from 22-1 to 10-1 at Caesars Sportsbook, where Los Angeles attracted 3.5 times more betting handle than any other team since Wednesday afternoon. Included in the rush of Lakers action was a $10,000 bet at 22-1 odds from a bettor in New York, according to Caesars."

L.A. will welcome back one of the game's all-time and current greats in LeBron James, who missed 26 games last year. Eight-time All-Star Anthony Davis, who sat 42 games, should also be back in the mix.

The Lakers did make a change at head coach, parting ways with Frank Vogel and adding Milwaukee Bucks assistant Darvin Ham to lead their sidelines.

They also filled out their rotation with intriguing talents on one-year deals with Lonnie Walker IV, Juan Toscano-Anderson and Troy Brown Jr.

The wild card in a potential Lakers surge this year is the reported mutual interest between the team and Brooklyn Nets point guard Kyrie Irving, who exercised his $36.9 million player option to remain in town.

However, with Kevin Durant requesting a trade, the Nets could be blowing up their team. With that, it makes sense to deal Irving and reboot the franchise.

ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski reported that the Lakers were the only known team looking to land Irving in a sign-and-trade. ESPN's Stephen A. Smith said Irving is telling people he plans on going to Los Angeles.

And ESPN's Brian Windhorst backed the Smith report too.

"Kyrie Irving is out of town as fast as he possibly can. He's focused, as [Stephen A. Smith] said, on forcing himself to the L.A. Lakers," Windhorst said on Thursday's episode of SportsCenter.

If Irving can find himself in L.A., then the bettors who jumped aboard the Lakers' bandwagon of late may have gotten some good value wagers in place. Irving averaged 27.4 points and 5.8 assists last year.

The seven-time All-Star also has built-in chemistry with James, as the two helped lead the Cleveland Cavaliers to three Eastern Conference titles and one NBA championship.

The Western Conference is going to be a gauntlet to run through even if the Lakers land Irving, but the sincere betting interest in the team is something to watch as the offseason progresses.

For all the latest betting information and reaction, check out B/R Betting.

Heading into Thursday's opening of NBA free agency, the Los Angeles Lakers appeared poised to run it back next season with Russell Westbrook on the roster.

"Though a Westbrook trade is still possible, the Lakers are currently planning on beginning next season with him on the roster, multiple league sources told The Athletic," Jovan Buha wrote on Tuesday.

The Lakers were interested in acquiring Brooklyn Nets point guard Kyrie Irving before Irving signed his player option for the 2022-23 season. In fact, Los Angeles was reportedly the only team interested in orchestrating a sign-and-trade for the 30-year-old.

"Outside of the Los Angeles Lakers, there are currently no known teams planning to pursue sign-and-trade deals for Brooklyn Nets guard Kyrie Irving, sources told ESPN," ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski wrote on Monday.

The NBA landscape has changed dramatically over the last 24 hours, though.

According to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski, Kevin Durant has requested a trade, and Nets general manager Sean Marks is "working" with him to facilitate one.

Durant's request potentially changes things for the Lakers in a big way, but not because Durant is a realistic trade target. According to Buha and Sam Amick of The Athletic, a source has put the Lakers' chances of landing Durant at "zero."

Durant's trade request potentially opens the door for the Lakers to revisit a move on Irving and a Westbrook trade.

According to Buha and Amick, the interest in bringing Irving to L.A. was mutual, and the Lakers are likely to make another run:

"A source close to the situation indicated as much in the aftermath of the Durant trade request, and it makes all sorts of sense that the Durant decision ups the Lakers’ odds here. As The Athletic reported on Monday, Irving was hyper-focused on landing with the Lakers in the days and weeks leading up to his opt-in decision."

L.A. is interested in reuniting Irving and LeBron James, and they may now have a second shot at it. There are a couple of reasons to believe that Durant's inevitable departure is the best thing Los Angeles could have hoped for this offseason.

For starters, Irving himself may want out, given Durant's request. Irving ultimately decided to return to Brooklyn to "fulfill his four-year commitment" to the Nets and to Durant, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic and Stadium. If Durant is no longer in Brooklyn, Irving has no commitment to uphold.

Irving's decision to opt-in likely had more to do with Durant than any loyalty to the Nets. According to Wojnarowski, Irving has had no contact with the organization since making the decision.

Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving had no contact with the franchise after Irving opted into his deal on Monday, and a sense of inevitability existed that Durant would eventually ask for a trade, sources tell ESPN. It happened today.

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) June 30, 2022

The other factor to consider is that with Durant on the way out, Brooklyn is likely staring down another rebuild. A core of Irving, Ben Simmons and Seth Curry isn't as attractive as one that includes Durant.

If Brooklyn believes it cannot contend without Durant, it may not only be willing to move Irving, but eager.

For the Lakers, this would be a terrific development. A trio of James, Irving and Anthony Davis is, on paper, better than a James, Davis, Westbrook lineup. Westbrook never meshed with the roster last season, while James has already won titles with both Davis and Irving.

Irving's ability to create shots and hit them at a high rate complements what James and Davis do best with the inside game, too. L.A. needs a third quality scorer, and Westbrook wasn't that this past season.

The Lakers would still face some stiff competition in the Western Conference, but they would be a more legitimate title contender with Irving on the roster instead of Westbrook.

The big question is how the Lakers can now make an Irving deal work.

In an ideal world, Irving would negotiate a buyout, as John Wall did with the Houston Rockets after opting in for the season. This would make Irving a free agent and able to sign with Los Angeles on the mid-level exception.

Bleacher Report's Jake Fischer told NBA insider Marc Stein that Irving had considered playing on the mid-level exception in L.A. this season before opting in. Irving will have little leverage with the Nets, though, if they know they can get something in return via a trade.

L.A. would convince Brooklyn to take on Westbrook's $47 million salary as part of a trade. However, as Buha and Amick outlined, a simple Westbrook-for-Irving swap wouldn't work—and things could get complicated:

"The framework of a deal could look something like this: Irving and a second Nets player (Seth Curry, the newly acquired Royce O’Neale or Day’Ron Sharpe) in exchange for Westbrook and the Lakers’ 2027 and 2029 first-round selections. If the Nets don’t want to take on Westbrook’s salary, a third team could enter the mix, with one of the Lakers’ picks and potentially Talen Horton-Tucker and/or Kendrick Nunn being involved."

Los Angeles could also consider dealing Westbrook first—likely including future draft picks to convince a team to take on his salary—and then make a play for Irving. The problem there is that there's no telling what Brooklyn will want for Irving without knowing what it can get for Durant first.

"I think Kyrie is going to have wait this out because we're not going to really know what the Nets are going to want to trade him for until we see what Kevin Durant gets traded for," ESPN's Brian Windhorst said on Get Up (h/t ClutchPoints).

Right now, the Lakers' most likely path to acquiring Irving involves a direct trade with Brooklyn that may or may not involve a third or even fourth team. It will be complicated and may not transpire until after Durant is dealt—and it hinges entirely on Brooklyn's willingness to trade Irving to L.A.

The good news for the Lakers is that Irving is eager to join them.

"Irving is telling everybody he plans on going to L.A., meaning the Lakers, as soon as he possibly can," ESPN's Stephen A. Smith said Thursday on NBA Today.

Thanks to Durant's trade request, bringing Irving to L.A. is again a very real possibility.

Kyrie Irving reportedly plans to join the Los Angeles Lakers when he has the opportunity, according to ESPN's Stephen A. Smith:

"Kyrie Irving is telling everybody he plans on going to L.A., meaning the Lakers, as soon as he possibly can," Smith said on NBA Today.

ESPN's Dave McMenamin provided insight on the Lakers' mindset as Irving continues to push for a move to L.A.:

Irving opted into his contract for the 2022-23 season, which means he can no longer control his landing spot for next season. As Smith noted, the point guard can sign with the Lakers as a free agent next summer when the team is significantly under the salary cap.

A move to the Lakers would allow Irving to team back up with LeBron James after the two spent three years together with the Cleveland Cavaliers.

The duo reached the NBA Finals in three straight years and won the 2016 title.

Irving could be on the move this offseason, especially after Kevin Durant requested a trade. ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski reported it's "very likely" that both Durant and Irving have played their last games on the Nets:

The latest on Kevin Durant requesting a trade from the Nets from @wojespn.

Join us now on ESPN2 for our NBA Today Free Agency special as we break it all down. pic.twitter.com/dsRBjecW8S

— Malika Andrews (@malika_andrews) June 30, 2022

Dan Woike of the Los Angeles Times reported there was a lot of "chatter" connecting Irving to the Lakers.

Los Angeles was also the only team pursuing Irving in a sign-and-trade before he opted into his deal, per Wojnarowski. The mutual interest could be enough for the Lakers and Nets to work out a trade.

Even without a trade, it seems Irving is planning to eventually end up in Los Angeles.

LeBron James may not be taking an active role in the Los Angeles Lakers' offseason.

ESPN's Brian Windhorst reported Thursday on Get Up that James is "just going to be a spectator for the next six weeks and see what the Lakers are able to do."

"I'm not expecting them to do much," Windhorst said. "And I also think, even if he doesn't extend his contract, it's not necessarily a vote of no confidence in the Lakers. It's just to leave both his options and the Lakers' options open."

Star players typically want to involve themselves in whatever their team is doing, whether it's laying out potential personnel moves or recruiting prospective free agents.

When it comes to the Lakers, though, there might not be much for James to do.

Windhorst cited Juan Toscano-Anderson and Josh Jackson as potential targets for the team, which speaks to how much the franchise has its hands tied.

Toscano-Anderson averaged 13.6 minutes per game for the Golden State Warriors and logged a total of 49 minutes in the team's championship run. The 29-year-old certainly isn't a major difference-maker.

Jackson, meanwhile, has played for four teams through five seasons. The No. 4 overall pick in the 2017 NBA draft, he has failed to tap into any of the potential he showed in college at Kansas.

A move for Kyrie Irving represented the one real gambit Lakers general manager Rob Pelinka could make, but Irving is planning on returning to the Brooklyn Nets. Absent that trade, it's difficult to see Russell Westbrook going anywhere, so carrying his $47.1 million salary into 2022-23 leaves Pelinka with few options.

At least the narrative around James is a little different from the reporting immediately after the trade deadline, when the Lakers did nothing amid a season that was falling short of expectations.

Pelinka told reporters there was a sense of "alignment" between he, James and Anthony Davis about the team's deadline plans. ESPN's Dave McMenamin reported the picture Pelinka painted was "totally false."

It appears now James has a better understanding of the predicament the organization faces.

A limited-edition LeBron James card set a new record when it was sold at auction on Saturday night.

Per the official listing from Goldin Auctions, the 2020-21 Panini Flawless Triple Logoman patch card featuring the Los Angeles Lakers superstar went for $2 million.

The final sale price is $2.4 million when factoring in the buyer's premium. It's the highest sale price for a card to be pulled and sold in the same year.

The LeBron James Triple Logoman is the single highest priced card ever to be pulled and sold in the same year 🤯

Final Sale Price: $2,400,000 pic.twitter.com/AvlUqc6NTA

— Goldin (@GoldinCo) June 26, 2022

BusinessWire.com noted this is the "most sought-after modern card in the sports collector world," with a value between $3-5 million.

Per Chris Bumbaca of USA Today, Panini created a total of five triple logoman cards in the 2020-21 Flawless collection. The card features authentic patches of the NBA logo as it has been altered over the years, with images of James from his time with the Lakers, Cleveland Cavaliers and Miami Heat.

“The LeBron James Triple Logoman card is the undisputed holy grail of modern cards,” Goldin founder and executive chairman Ken Goldin told Bumbaca.

James' was the only card in the set to feature three patches from a single player. Other patch cards featured Anthony Edwards/LaMelo Ball/Tyrese Haliburton, Giannis Antetokounmpo/Kevin Durant/Stephen Curry, Jayson Tatum/Luka Doncic/Zion Williamson and Draymond Green/Klay Thompson/Stephen Curry.

The packs cost $15,000 each and came in a secure latched box with 10 cards to a pack.

Rap star Drake, acting like Veruca Salt in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, spent over $200,000 on 14 boxes in an attempt to find the James card.

Drake posted this on Instagram story four hours ago. It appears to be NBA Flawless boxes, which sell for about $15,000 each. A box has only 10 cards in it. So, these 14 boxes/140 cards combined are worth over $200,000. pic.twitter.com/eKMUcXdmGf

— Kiley McDaniel (@kileymcd) March 16, 2022

Based on a list of the top sports card sales from Beckett.com, the $2.4 million price for the James Logoman patch card makes it the second-most expensive card sold in 2022.

A version of the Honus Wagner T206 card with a PSA 1 grade was sold for $3.14 million in March. James' patch card bumped a 2000 Playoff Contenders Championship Ticket Tom Brady Autograph card down to the No. 3 spot ($2.3 million).

Tennis star Naomi Osaka is launching a media company in collaboration with SpringHill Company, the entertainment enterprise co-founded by Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James.

Osaka told the New York Times' Brooks Barnes she's looking to help create "scripted and unscripted television series, documentaries, anime and branded content" through her new venture, Hana Kuma.

"I honestly can’t say if I’ll personally be in anything right now," she said. "What excites me is being able to inspire people and tell new stories, particularly ones that I would have wanted to see when I was a kid. I always wanted to kind of see someone like me."

Hana Kuma is already planning to partner with the New York Times to produce a documentary on Patsy Mink, the first woman of color who was voted into Congress, through the Times' "Op-Doc" series.

Per Barnes, SpringHill will help finance and produce Hama Kuma's projects. Co-founder Maverick Carter told Barnes that Osaka "can just plug into what we have built."

This represents another avenue through which the four-time Grand Slam champion can expand her reach beyond tennis.

In May, Osaka left the sports agency IMG to start her own agency with Stuart Duguid, her agent at IMG. Evolve signed its first client Monday, Nick Kyrgios.