There is never a dull day nba. Less than a week from transfer deadline for this seasonShams Charania (The Athletic) reported that Kyrie Irving requested a transfer to the Brooklyn Nets.
If the Nets don’t trade Irving, he has apparently made it known that he will leave this offseason as a free agent.
Irving is in the midst of another outstanding season. In 40 games he is averaging 27.1 points, 5.3 assists and 5.1 rebounds on 48.6% shooting from the field, 37.4% from three and 88.3% from free throws. His production earned him his eighth career All-Star selection.
Which teams could add Irving via trade. Let’s see…
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The best destinations for Kyrie Irving after his transfer request
Los Angeles Lakers
The obvious choice of course…
Bleacher Report’s Chris Haynes reported in the 2022 offseason that the Lakers and Nets were at one point “actively engaged in conversations” regarding a trade package involving Westbrook and Irving. A trade apparently never took place, but there were rumors that Irving planned to join the Lakers as a free agent.
Irving would be a perfect fit in Los Angeles and has a history with LeBron James. That just depends on whether the package of Westbrook and two future first-round picks would be enough for the Nets, because there isn’t much else the Lakers can offer.
Dallas Mavericks
It’s no secret that Luka Doncic could use some help in Dallas.
Doncic and Irving would make a pairing similar to what Irving did with LeBron James when they were teammates in Cleveland. Once again, Irving is a good enough shooter to play someone like Doncic, and his ability to create his shot against just about anyone would help take some of the game load off Doncic’s shoulders.
On paper, it’s hard not to like Irving and Doncic as a duo, but the Mavericks face a similar problem to the Lakers: They may not have the wherewithal to land a player of Irving’s caliber.
New York Knicks
The Knicks didn’t want to go all-in on Donovan Mitchell in the offseason. Would they do it for Irving?
Like Mitchell, Irving has some ties to New York, having grown up in West Orange, New Jersey. He and Jalen Brunson are both more point guards than shooting guards, but both are excellent shooters who have plenty of experience playing with ball-dominant players. Defense may be an issue, but there’s reason to believe they’d solve it offensively.
If, of course, the plan was to pair Irving with Brunson and Julius Randle. Assuming they do, the Knicks have some interesting young players they could offer the Nets, including Immanuel Quickley, RJ Barrett, Obi Toppin and Quentin Grimes.
The Knicks also have plenty of draft picks they could use to sweeten any deal.
Phoenix Sans
Marc Stein recently revealed that the Suns have begun evaluating their future after Chris Paul, adding that they had identified Fred VanVleet, Terry Rozier and Immanuel Quickley as potential targets.
There is no doubt that Irving would be the best player in this group.
The Suns are better equipped to make up for Irving’s defensive shortcomings than most teams, and he would give them a much-needed punch in the backcourt. Additionally, they control all future first-round picks so they have the wherewithal to make a major move at the deadline.
Miami Heat
Florida was reportedly one of the teams Irving listed as his favorite destinations in 2017. Jimmy Butler has said in the past that he wants to play with Irving and that he is his favorite player. Miami has never been shy when it comes to chasing stars.
It’s not hard to connect the dots here.
Complicating any deal for the Heat, however, is that their best asset, other than Butler and Bam Adebayo who likely won’t be off the table, is Tyler Herro, and he has a poisoned contract where his exit value would be 5 .7 million, while his entry value is 25.1 million. This makes the salary equation a headache.
Kyrie Irving’s contract
Irving is in the final year of a four-year, $136.5 million deal he signed with the Nets. He will be an unrestricted free agent next offseason.
Of the link for 2022-2023 is for $36.9 million.
The views expressed here do not necessarily represent those of the NBA or its organizations.
