Have Kyrie Irving Trade Talks Already "Lost Traction?" What Leverage do the Lakers Have?

Last week, momentum seemed to be gathering around a trade that would bring Kyrie Irving to the Lakers. This week, Shams Charania of The Athletic is reporting that the teams no longer have any "traction" on a deal, and he's wondering if the thing will ever happen at all. So what happens now? Are the Lakers and Nets each destined to hold on to their respective problematic point guards? Well, a lot of it has to do with leverage. The Lakers have a little bit over the Nets - namely that no other teams seem interested in acquiring Kyrie - and the Nets have more over L.A., because without a deal it's pretty certain the Lakers won't have a shot at winning anything significant this season. Fans want action. LeBron James wants action! Can the Lakers, then, afford not to act? And when it's all said and done, how much pressure are the Nets really under to make a deal? Does it have to get done before the year? Could they, as they now are reportedly willing to do, proceed as if they'll start the year with Irving, Kevin Durant and Ben Simmons? That squad (which just picked up TJ Warren on a cheap deal) would have a chance to contend, so it seems reasonable that if the Nets want to repair the relationship with K.D., it doesn't make sense to move Irving and undercut Brooklyn's competitiveness. So settle in, folks, this could take a while. How much should the Lakers be willing to part with, anyway? What should be the goal? What's a good "all in" deal? Finally, Summer League! The summer Lakers lost in the Finals of the California Classic, but the guys that matter - Max Christie, Cole Swider, Scotty Pippen Jr. - all showed positive signs. Jay Huff, too! HOSTS: Andy and Brian Kamenetzky SEGMENT 1: Have the Nets and Lakers lost "traction" on a Kyrie deal? SEGMENT 2: Who has leverage, here? SEGMENT 3: Summer League reaction! Support Us By Supporting Our Sponsors! TrueBill Don’t fall for subscription scams. Start cancelling today at Truebill.com/LOCKEDONNBA. Built Bar Built Bar is a protein bar that tastes like a candy bar. Go to builtbar.com and use promo code “LOCKED15,” and you’ll get 15% off your next order. BetOnline BetOnline.net has you covered this season with more props, odds and lines than ever before. BetOnline – Where The Game Starts! Rock Auto Amazing selection. Reliably low prices. All the parts your car will ever need. Visit RockAuto.com and tell them Locked On sent you. Arcade1up Pre-order now from arcade1up.com - that’s Arcade, the number 1, Up, dot com - for an estimated early September ship date! They are giving away a NBA JAM Shaq edition to a Locked On listener! Enter for a chance to win a game console for your man-cave at arcade1up.com/lockedon. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices