(Translator's Note: The author of this article is CBS writer Sam Quinn. The views in the article do not represent the views of the translator and the platform)
It is no exaggeration to say that Kyrie Irving may really be the most complicated trade candidate in NBA history. Trading him is more than a simple matter of risk versus reward. We're talking about one of the most unpredictable players the NBA has ever seen. He has promised to stay with every team he has left and promised last season that he would not retire. How much confidence can interested teams have in him keeping his word? Obtaining Irving through a trade requires the support of the entire team. You have to understand that he may miss games due to injury, or he may miss games for reasons other than injuries. He would say some strange things and make things difficult for the team's coaches.
But he would hit the most crucial shot of the entire season. This is why finding a suitable trading solution is so difficult. Irving is one of the few players in the league who can stand up when the team's offense is abnormal, and the Nets also know this. Trading Irving may make their performance worse, and it may also cost them their championship hopes. Given the risk Irving poses, any team seeking to acquire him likely won't give the Nets fair value in return in a trade. This could be a lose-lose deal for both parties.
From this point of view, the Nets should probably keep Irving. He has a player option worth $36 million, and teams interested in him have limited bargaining chips. Teams with enough cap space to sign him in free agency were far from championship competitive, and he had no interest in those teams in the first place. Therefore, he may continue to stay with the Nets. He can't force the Nets to trade him to his favorite team, and the Nets can't exchange him for chips that he's satisfied with, because his trade value has dropped so much that such chips may not exist.
But according to The Athletic reporter Shams, Irving and the Nets have reached an impasse in contract renewal negotiations, so it is worth discussing now which team may facilitate Irving's deal. In view of the risks that the transaction will bring to both parties, this transaction may have to meet all or most of the following conditions to be feasible:
① The new team must be acceptable to Irving. If he doesn't want to be traded to that team, it's not worth the trouble.
②The return the Nets receive must allow the team to maintain a certain degree of competitiveness, and the Nets need to ensure that they do not let Kevin Durant leave.
③As a practical matter, the Nets cannot acquire 2022 free agents in a sign-and-trade deal because that would trigger a hard salary cap that they will almost certainly exceed. In this case, we assume Irving will exercise his player option and then re-sign with his new team, rather than going through a sign-and-trade that would complicate operations for teams interested in him.
Considering the above factors, the following are the five teams most likely to acquire Irving through trade.
1. Los Angeles Lakers
The Nets will not be interested in Russell Westbrook . Let's make this clear first. Durant has (unintentionally) hinted through social media that he no longer wants to play with Westbrook after leaving the Thunder. Even if they are full of interest in joining forces again, Westbrook and Ben-Simmons are not compatible. So now we simply put the "Westbrook for Irving" trade plan behind us. If the Lakers want to acquire Irving through a trade, they may use one of the following two methods. The more likely solution for
is to conduct a three-party trade. The third-party team takes over Westbrook's expiring contract and the "meager" chips the Lakers can provide (unprotected first-round picks in 2027 and 2029, Austin Lee Davis or Horton-Tucker), and the Lakers will also send some of their assets to and Brooklyn (many transaction methods involving Westbrook are mostly like this). Maybe Pacers can send Malcolm Brogdon and Buddy Hield to the Nets.The Hornets may also send away some of Gordon Hayward, Terry Rochell, Kelly Oubre and PJ-Washington. Of course, there may also be larger-scale transactions involving the Rockets and John Wall . If the Lakers are willing to give up multiple draft picks, they may be able to get the Rockets to send role players like Eric Gordon (the Rockets reportedly want a first-round pick) and Jaseon Tate . Of all these trade scenarios, the one involving the Hornets might make the most sense. Hayward is the closest "star" level player the Nets can get in this deal. The Hornets can still maintain a certain depth of lineup after trading him to the Nets. However, among the various offers that the Nets may receive, this offer still ranks almost at the bottom.
If the Lakers can provide Anthony Davis , it will definitely arouse the greatest interest of the Nets. But don't expect them to actually do that. Although both Irving and Davis are prone to injuries, Davis has greater control over the team and is more reliable off the court. He is obviously a better player. Maybe the Nets will use role players like Seth Curry and Joe Harris to increase their chips, but they can't replace Davis' contribution to the Lakers on the defensive end. Will the Nets send Ben Simmons again? Most likely not. At present, the Lakers' hope of acquiring Irving lies solely in his interest in Los Angeles. The Lakers cannot provide the Nets with the best bargaining chip.
2. Los Angeles Clippers
Clippers Like the Nets, they can complete the transaction by trading the second largest star in their own team. The " George and Irving swap" plan is quite attractive to both parties, because George can meet the Nets' need to improve perimeter defense, and George's arrival will allow Simmons to play point guard; while Irving will Instantly becomes the best point guard on a team with so many great wings. But there's a reason the Clippers have spent years accumulating these wings. They have a very clear team building philosophy, and trading George to get Irving obviously does not fit in with this philosophy. They would love to have Irving, but not at the expense of George.
But if the Nets can accept a "four quarters for a dollar" trade plan, then the Clippers can make a very attractive offer. Robert Covington, Marcus Morris or Norman Powell can enrich the Nets' wings and better partner with Durant and Ben Simmons. The Nets lost many young talents in the deal to acquire James Harden, and the rapidly improving Terrence Mann and Brandon Boston are the young players the Nets lack. The Clippers can also send away an unprotected 2028 first-round pick to obtain additional long-term assets. At the same time, they will have the best trio in the league and enough depth to make them an immediate championship favorite.
3. New York Knicks
The Knicks have certain advantages in getting Irving. They have enough mid-level contracts that they can trade to teams that need to fill cap space, leaving room to sign Irving directly in free agency. They need to do this because their own leverage is not attractive. Evan Fournier, Kemba Walker and Nerlens Noel are not enough to exchange for Irving unless they can also send a large number of draft picks. Maybe the Nets can trade these picks again, but on the surface, this deal doesn't do much for the Nets.
But what if Julius Randle was added to the deal? Could the Nets view Randle as a star player, or a quasi-star player? He might have been a better fit for the Nets before the "Harden-Ben Simmons swap" deal, but even if his form declined last season, he's still better than average as a player who can shoot. The big man contributes more. He can add the inside strength that the Nets lack after losing Jarrett Allen .The premise that this trading plan can be realized is that the Nets have a high evaluation of Randall. Remember, Randle was named to the All-NBA Second Team a season ago when no other Nets player could do that. He is a talented player.
4. Miami Heat
According to reports, when Irving applied for a trade to the Cavaliers in 2018, he had four teams he wanted to go to, namely the Knicks, Spurs, Timberwolves and Heat. . We already mentioned the Knicks above; the Spurs are not championship competitive; while D'Angelo Russell would be interesting to return to the Nets, the Nets may not be interested in this "downgrade"; then What about the Heat? It's still possible.
Pat Riley emphasized the importance of offensive and defensive players at the end of the season press conference, and mildly criticized Tyler Herro's defense. Although Irving's defense is not outstanding, he is an upgraded version of Hiero . At least he will not be unable to play due to poor defense. At the same time, Irving also meets the Heat's needs for a star. In this season's series loss to the Celtics, their positional offense struggled at times, and Irving's arrival can help the Heat improve their scoring ability and help the team return to the Finals. In addition, there have been rumors that he is interested in joining forces with Jimmy Butler.
Hiero will be the main bargaining chip in this deal. Although he did not perform well in the playoffs this season, there is a reason why he was able to win the Sixth Man of the Year, and he may become the upper reaches of the league in the future. One of the shooting guards. Kyle Lowry may also be packaged and sent to the Nets together with Herro, replacing Irving as the Nets' starting point guard. Before the trade deadline, the Heat also modified the protection clause of the draft picks they owed the Thunder to ensure more flexibility in the draft. That could allow them to give up a first-round pick or two to increase their leverage and make their offer more attractive. In terms of real value, the trading chips the Heat can provide are better than the Nets.
5. Phoenix Suns
This is all speculation on our part. The Lakers, Clippers and Knicks have all been reported by Shams, and the Heat is a team that Irving has always been interested in. He has a good personal relationship with Butler, which is also in line with the Heat's team building philosophy. and do not meet these conditions. All they have is a 37-year-old veteran point guard at the end of his career.
Last season, Chris Paul was on the edge of the regular season MVP list. In the first eight games of the playoffs, he also performed very well: averaging 22.6 points and 9.9 assists per game, with a shooting percentage of 58%. But in the series against the Dallas Mavericks, everything fell apart. Maybe it’s because he suffered an injury, or because of the outbreak within the team, or maybe it’s just because he’s getting older. But in this series, the Suns got a glimpse of their future. If the Suns want to replace Paul with a young point guard who can continue to maintain their core competitiveness even after DeAndre Ayton leaves, acquiring Irving may be the only chance. The transaction between
and the Suns may also have certain risks for the Nets. Paul is a consummate professional, but given his age, no one can guarantee his health. He fits perfectly with Durant, who can play with any player; he also fits well with Ben Simmons, because although Simmons needs a lot of the ball in his hands, Paul has excellent shooting ability. If Durant wants the team to trade Irving for a star player, then he may have to accept a risky player like Paul.
But this deal may not come to fruition, because Paul is so important to the Suns' team culture that he will almost certainly not be put on the negotiating table. But like we said, this is all just speculation, and even though neither side is particularly excited about this trade package, it makes sense to both parties.
