Trade Ideas for Kyrie Irving
It's been a horrific off-season for the Championship Runner-Up Cleveland Cavaliers. An aged team that looked outmatched in the NBA Finals seemed poised to add a star player to their roster, if not swap PF Kevin Love for another star better fit to compete against the Golden State Warriors. They were rumored to be the likely landing spot for one of these star wing players: Paul George (traded to Oklahoma City Thunder), Jimmy Butler (traded to Minnesota Timberwolves), or Carmelo Anthony (still with New York Knicks). Not finding a taker for Kevin Love has hampered those plans though. The team has managed to make minor acquisitions by adding a couple of veterans (Jose Calderon and Jeff Green) and a slightly intriguing Euro-league player (Cedi Osman). But none of those signings look to help them on their quest to compete with the Warriors.
To add onto this poor off-season, it has been reported that star PG Kyrie Irving now wants out. The current rumors have already reported that Irving has informed the Cavaliers Front Office of four preferred destinations: the Miami Heat, Knicks, Timberwolves, and San Antonio Spurs. This seems like another push from players to take more control of where they play, but unfortunately for Irving, he isn't in a position of power here when it comes to destination selection. Announcing his desire to be dealt is the only power move he has here, as it pushes the Cavaliers to trade him now or the risk getting less for him next season or even losing him for nothing once his contract ends in two seasons.
The Cavaliers should take Irving's desired landing spots into consideration, as those teams are in need a new PGs (minus Minnesota, who just added Jeff Teague). Along with these four teams, there are two additional teams that would be great trade partners for the Cavaliers. Those teams are the Denver Nuggets and the Phoenix Suns. Both teams have plenty of young assets to offer the Cavaliers and would also allow Irving to thrive in offenses that would place the ball in his hands a lot more. Now let's go over some possible deals that would make the Cavaliers pull the trigger on a deal.
Denver Nuggets
Cavaliers get: PG Emmanuel Mudiay, F/C Kenneth Faried, and a 2018 1st-Round Pick
Nuggets get: PG Kyrie Irving and a future 2nd-Round Pick
or
Cavaliers get: G Jamal Murray, F Wilson Chandler, and F/C Kenneth Faried
Nuggets get: PG Kyrie Irving and G/F Iman Shumpert
The Nuggets have been on a search for a PG since the Ty Lawson experiment went sour in 2015. Landing a star PG to pair with budding star Nikola Jokic and newly signed PF Paul Millsap would be well worth whatever the Cavaliers would want in return. The only deal I can see the Nuggets not being eager to bite on is if the Cavaliers asked for both Mudiay AND Murray along with other pieces in return for Irving. A lineup of Irving-Gary Harris (or Murray)-Chandler-Millsap-Jokic would just about guarantee the Nuggets a playoff spot as well as help them continue to shape their identity.
Miami Heat
Cavaliers get: G Goran Dragic, G/F Josh Richardson, and two future 1st-Round Picks
Heat get: PG Kyrie Irving, a 2023 2nd-Round Pick, and cash
The Heat don't have much to offer the Cavaliers outside of future picks. Dragic would likely be a must in a deal between the two teams, as well as one of the Heat's young wing players. The Cavaliers would love to involved Hassan Whiteside or additional teams to take on Kevin Love or Iman Shumpert, but they'd be hard pressed to get either wish.
New York Knicks
Cavaliers get: G Frank Ntilikina, F Carmelo Anthony, and a future top-10 protected 1st-Round Pick
Knicks get: PG Kyrie Irving and G/F Iman Shumpert
or
Cavaliers get: F Carmelo Anthony and 2 future 1st-Round Picks
Knicks get: PG Kyrie Irving and F/C Channing Frye
The Knicks would love to add a star PG like Irving to appease not only their groaning fans but also their star PF Kristaps Porzingis. This deal would also serve as the end of their Melo-saga. The Cavaliers would not do this deal without Melo being involved, and would also look to move one of their vets in the move as well to match salaries. The only decision the Knicks would have to make is if they give they give the Cavaliers multiple picks or if they include their recent top-10 pick Ntilikina. Do they believe Ntilikina and Irving can co-exist?
Phoenix Suns
Cavaliers get: PG Eric Bledsoe, SF T.J. Warren, F Derrick Jones Jr., and a lottery protected 2019 1st-Round Pick (unprotected in 2020)
Suns get: PG Kyrie Irving and two future 2nd-Round Picks
The Suns may be giving up a bit more than needed here. They may elect to keep either Jones Jr. or Warren, but that should hinder the Cavaliers from accepting a deal here. The Cavaliers pair LeBron with a PG entering his prime, a young forward, and also acquire a future asset. The Suns get to create a scoring backcourt in Irving-Devin Booker that would compete against the West's deadly backcourts (Curry-Thompson, Paul-Harden, Teague-Butler, Lillard-McCollum).
The remaining two teams (Spurs and Timberwolves) would be the hardest teams to make deals with for the Cavaliers. Those deals would likely need to be multi-team deals. And what would the Timberwolves or Spurs be willing to give away in order to land Irving? Is LaMarcus Aldridge expendable? Andrew Wiggins? Shouldn't be much longer before we find out what the Cavaliers want to do with this Kyrie Irving situation brewing. One thing is for sure: whatever they do, they better be building for a future post-LeBron James AND Kyrie Irving.
