The Los Angeles Lakers and Brooklyn Nets had a similar 2021/22 NBA season, starting from the fact that they both were deemed championship favorites before the start of the campaign thanks to a big move they made in the prior season or during the offseason. After that, they were involved in controversies that hurt the team's chances to compete at the highest level, while injuries and other issues bothered them.
After spending a lot of money to compete for the title, neither team won a single playoff game, becoming the two biggest disappointments of the season. This offseason appears to be very entertaining for them and their stars. The Lakers and Nets are expected to deal at least one piece of their respective Big 3, and somehow they could cross paths this summer.
Fox Sports analyst Nick Wright recently proposed a blockbuster deal between the Los Angelenos and Brooklynites that could fix many problems for both of them. Each team's superstar will stay, meaning LeBron James and Kevin Durant won't team up, but the Lakers could add Ben Simmons and Kyrie Irving while sending Anthony Davis and Russell Westbrook to the Nets.
“I don’t think that works. I don’t think if you’re the LA Lakers, you can trade Anthony Davis for Kyrie Irving,” Wright said, via Heavy. “So I said to Colin [Cowherd], ‘the Nets would have to give up more.’ So I was like, ‘What is the more?’ Then I said, ‘Wait. What about the biggest, most blockbuster NBA trade ever?'”
“If you’re the Lakers, Ben Simmons can play center. LeBron and Kyrie are reunited,” he said. “If you’re the Nets and you want to see if it can work with Russ, if there’s any team that has enough shooting, it’s the team that has Seth [Curry], Joe Harris, Patty Mills and Kevin Durant.”
Wright insisted that this was a fair trade for both teams, as nobody would lose since it was an exchange of 2nd and 3rd-best players.
“That is a trade that I think both teams have an ‘All hands on deck’ meeting for,” Wright said. “Our second and third-best player for your second and third-best player. Let’s see if we can shake the snow globe because, as presently constituted, both teams need to shake the damn snow globe.”
This sound really interesting, to be honest, especially knowing that Kyrie Irving reportedly wants to reunite with LeBron James in LA, while Russell Westbrook could do the same with Kevin Durant in New York. Yet, we'll have to sit and wait until free agency starts to see where the Nets and Lakers stand regarding their stars.
If it happens, it would be an incredible move for both teams. They could actually compete for the championship if all these pieces mesh well.
More must-reads: