Los Angeles Clippers should be rooting for Kyrie Irving to join LeBron

The Los Angeles Clippers are looking to sign their own stars this summer but should be rooting for the Lakers to sign a particular star of their own.

Fans of the Los Angeles Clippers have high expectations this summer with cap space to bring in two superstars after a promising season. If everything goes as planned, the Clippers very well could be the best team in the Western Conference next season.

The biggest names that have been connected to the Clippers are Kevin Durant and Kawhi Leonard, although the free agent class is so stacked that the Clippers have plenty of options to choose from.

Another subplot that some Clipper fans might be rooting for (it is OK if you are, there is nothing wrong with it) is the Los Angeles Lakers missing out on a second superstar. The Lakers have been a bit of a circus recently and ever Clipper fan would love if their team ended up with the thing that the Lakers have wanted — two stars.

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And as someone who covers both teams, I appreciate the LA rivalry and the Clippers’ pursuit to cement themselves as the dominant team with a title run. However, the rivalry should be put aside as every Clipper fan should actually be rooting for the Lakers to get a second star.

Sounds weird, I know. However, the Clippers would actually benefit if the Lakers got a particular star named Kyrie Irving.

The Irving-Lakers speculation is really starting to pick up now that Irving is out of the playoffs and it appears as if an Irving-LeBron reunion could be in the cards. And while it might seem counterproductive to root for the Lakers to get a top-five point guard, it actually helps the Clippers get the best version of the offseason that they could get.

That is because Kevin Durant and Irving have both been tied to the New York Knicks together. While it is still possible that Durant would go to New York without Irving, there is a smaller chance if he knows that Irving is going to the Lakers.

The Knicks are the biggest competition for Durant this summer and if the best second star the Knicks can bring in is Jimmy Butler then Durant might survey his other options, which includes the Los Angeles Clippers on the top of the list.

But what do the Clippers have for a second star? Well, if the Laker sign Kyrie Irving, then they obviously won’t be pursuing any other stars. That leaves Kawhi Leonard, who is having a historic postseason for the Toronto Raptors, as a favorite.

There is a chance that Kawhi is loving his time in Toronto and decides to re-sign with the team. However, while they are in the Finals, the long-term future of the Raptors is still a question mark and Kawhi would likely have to get help to stay.

If he does leave though, the two Los Angeles teams are the favorites because of Leonard’s hometown roots and his Southern California home. The Clippers already appear to be the favorites but that is cemented if the Lakers go with Irving instead.

That gives the Clippers the possibility to sign both Durant and Leonard this summer. The team would have to shave some salary cap space but can easily do so by trading Danilo Gallinari, who is on an expiring contract, and a future asset to a team that is not trying to contend next season.

Gallinari has been good but it would definitely be worth it to trade one year of his services for the chance to get two top-five players, if not top-three, in the league.

A team with both Durant and Leonard is easily the best team in the West, even if the Lakers get Kyrie Irving.

Next. The Clippers' edge over the Knicks explained. dark

So for that reason, the Los Angeles Clippers should actually want the Lakers to get Kyrie Irving. The domino effect could be extremely positive for Durant, Leonard and the Clippers.

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