Kyrie Irving Next Team Odds: Lakers Heavy Favorites at -400

Where Will Kyrie Irving Play Next Season?

The NBA has become a sport that’s relevant 365 days a year. Free agency and trades dominate the news cycle even with no games being played.

As teams start to settle into their rosters for next season, the Brooklyn Nets are still reeling from the trade request of Kevin Durant. A trade of that magnitude would set a franchise back away from contender status.

The question now created is what the Nets do with Kyrie Irving. After some subliminal messaging, the superstar guard opted into his one-year player option, making him an unrestricted free agent next year.

The superstar guard and franchise have been at odds since the start of last season, as Iriving opted against getting the COVID-19 vaccine. That decision removed his eligibility to play at home, and he missed 53 games as a result.

Even with being a “part-time” player, Irving still produced as one of the best guards in the league. The star put up 27.4 points, 4.4 rebounds and 5.8 assists while shooting 41.8% from three.

He still has every crafty finish around the basket and is a deadly pull-up jump shooter in pick-and-roll action. The dazzling ball-handling and ability to score still make him one of the top guards in the league when he’s on the floor.

Kyrie Irving Next Team Odds

The Safe Pick: Lakers | -400 at DraftKings

After a tumultuous season of chaos and roster turnover, the Los Angeles Lakers missed the playoffs and play-in in 2021-2022. LeBron James carried the team in his Year 19 season, while Anthony Davis missed 42 games.

The Lakers fired their coach and hired the long-time assistant Darvin Ham to run the show. They invested in youth in free agency, flipping the script from the previous season.

The biggest roster decision is still in flux, as Russell Westbrook opted into his $47 million player option. The former league MVP had arguably the worst season of his career, showing declines in all areas. His athleticism had meaningful declines in his ability to create space and get by defenders. The jump shot is as erratic as ever and he struggled to finish at the basket. Westbrook was a turnover machine and his fit next to James and Davis was questionable at best.

The Lakers were openly shopping Westbrook around the league, but trading for that contract is a tough proposition for any team. Irving becoming available seems like a saving grace, and the team has reportedly been open to it.

Irving’s off-court actions and inability to stay on the floor have destroyed his trade value around the league. A Westbrook-Irving swap seems like the crux of a deal and both teams seem like they only have each other to deal with.

The Lakers are the one team that seems open to the chaos Irving brings to a team. Irving has a history with James, as they won a title together in 2016 and would be an incredible basketball fit next to Davis.

The Lakers are the heavy favorites and the safe pick at -400.

The Longshot: Mavericks | +1200 at DraftKings

The Dallas Mavericks just had a Cinderella trip to the Western Conference Finals, shocking the 1-seed Phoenix Suns in a road Game 7. They have a superstar who’s not in the business of patience in Luka Doncic and looks more than prepared to lead a team to a championship.

The Mavericks traded for the offensively talented big man Christian Wood at the beginning of free agency and signed the solid veteran Javale McGee to fill out their big man rotation.

The Mavericks suffered a huge blow to their team, as a vital piece to their playoff run walked in free agency. Jalen Brunson, the attacking scoring guard who has improved every season, signed with the New York Knicks in free agency. The Mavericks opted to not match the offer, and now are scrambling to replace his production.

Brunson averaged 16.3 points and 4.8 assists in the regular season but upped that scoring average to 21.6 in 18 playoff games. He carried the team to wins without Doncic and was the Mavericks’ clear second-best player in the postseason.

The Mavericks have publicly denied any real interest in trading for Irving, as it would likely gut their team already void of talent. Irving theoretically would be an incredible basketball fit next to Doncic, giving him another off-ball shot creator. Both would be terrorizing threats off the ball and trying to construct a game plan against them would be very difficult.

The Mavericks are the longshot pick at +1200.

The Value Pick: Nets | +600 at DraftKings

Both Durant and Irving are technically still signed for the following season, with Durant having four years left on his deal. The Nets could theoretically still refuse the trade request and keep both players into training camp. It would be pretty unprecedented in the player empowerment era, as superstars usually get moved once they put in a request to be moved.

Irving and the Nets have been at odds for a long time now, and it came to its biggest breaking point when he wasn’t offered a long-term extension. Still, Irving opting into the final year of his contract means the Nets do have the option of playing this out to even the beginning of the season.

The Nets have no real incentive to lose, considering almost all their draft equity was traded to Houston in the James Harden deal. If they don’t like any of the offers, they still have some time to try and convince Irving and Durant to return for another season to play with Ben Simmons.

The value pick here is the Nets at +600

2022-2023 Kyrie Irving Prediction: Lakers | -400 at DraftKings

The Lakers have been the heavy favorites to land Irving since it was reported he’d like out of Brooklyn, and a deal makes sense for both sides. Depending on what the Nets would like back, they could find a third team to take on Westbrook as well. A

ll the reporting has been consistent that the Lakers are the only real team bidding for the services of Irving, and is the place he’d like to be long-term.

Adding off-the-court concerns and the fact that he could walk in a year, it seems other teams are hesitant to put in any real offers for him. Irving had his best years next to James on the Cleveland Cavaliers, and a reunion seems imminent.