NBA Free Agency: Lakers is not interested in Kyrie Irving anymore?

The Los Angeles Lakers are no longer interested in pursuing Kyrie Irving as a free agent, according to a report by The Athletic's Tim Cato. Irving has been pursued by the Lakers for much of the last year, but the team's recent success has led to a change of heart. The Lakers have won a playoff series and have done so with a group that has been together for just six weeks. The team believes that with more time together, it could become a title contender.

Irving attended a Lakers playoff game and sat courtside, leading to speculation that he could be headed to the team in free agency. However, sources indicate that the Lakers are not interested in pursuing Irving and that it would be difficult to acquire him without giving up key players or creating salary cap issues. The team has made several acquisitions since the trade deadline that have helped revitalize their season and put them in a second-round series against the Golden State Warriors.

The Lakers' recent success has silenced much of the noise surrounding the team and avoided what could have been a messy offseason if they had failed to close out the Memphis Grizzlies. It would have also reignited talk of pursuing Irving if they had lost in the first round after blowing a 3-1 lead. However, the team's dominant performance has led to a change of plans.

Irving's relationship with LeBron James, who plays for the Lakers, has fueled speculation that the point guard could end up in Los Angeles. However, the Lakers are not willing to part with the majority of their newfound depth or hamstring themselves by hard-capping themselves. The team believes that its current group has the potential to become a championship contender with more time together.

Finally, Irving's reputation for leaving franchises broken in his wake has contributed to the Lakers' decision not to pursue him. The team is no longer willing to blow up a successful group for the sake of signing Irving. Instead, it appears that the Lakers are finally ready to move on from the divisive point guard and focus on building a championship contender with their current group.