The Kyrie Irving to Los Angeles Lakers rumors are heating up as we head into Memorial Day Weekend, despite the fact that Stephen A. Smith says there's "no way in hell" the Boston Celtics All Star will sign with the Lakers.
According to ESPN insider Jordan Schultz, Kyrie was recently seen with LeBron at the upscale LA nightclub Hyde Sunset. Was this just a friendly meet-up between two former teammates? Probably - But reports suggest LeBron has been hot on the recruiting trail ahead of this summer's pivotal free agency period. Adding more fuel to the Kyrie to LA rumors, LeBron "liked" a photoshop image of Kyrie in a Lakers uniform on Friday.
Behold:
It has long been rumored that Irving will leave the Celtics this Summer in order to team up with Kevin Durant on the New York Knicks. In fact, Stephen A. Smith reports that it's basically a done deal already. However, rumors also suggest Kyrie is open to playing alongside LeBron again and the Lakers are expected to pursue the 27-year old All Star, in addition to several of the other highly coveted free agents.
According to ESPN's Brian Windhorst, LeBron has already made contact with Kawhi Leonard and Jimmy Butler - both of whom will become unrestricted free agents in July. The Lakers are also expected to make a run at New Orleans Pelicans superstar Anthony Davis, although Pelicans GM David Griffin remains hopeful that they'll be able to convince AD to stay in NOLA with their future first overall pick, Zion Williamson.