NBA trade rumors: 3 potential teams for Kyrie Irving after unexpected trade request
By Josh Wilson
Kyrie Irving shockingly requested a trade on Friday. If the Brooklyn Nets honor his request, who should they deal with?
Kyrie Irving has requested a trade from the Brooklyn Nets just ahead of the NBA trade deadline.
While the Nets don’t need to honor Irving’s request, it would be in their best interest to do so considering the star is a free agent this summer, and will almost certainly walk away from Brooklyn for nothing if they don’t trade him now. Better to snag a few assets while you can.
Plus, there’s no guarantee Brooklyn will get his best efforts for the remainder of the season if they don’t trade him.
It’s another chapter in the long book of incidents involving Irving wanting to leave teams, change his circumstances, or seeming to be just fed up with things where he’s at.
Drama aside, Irving just made himself the most talented player available on this season’s trade market, and dramatically changes the landscape just days before the trade deadline’s arrival.
Teams that could trade for Kyrie Irving: Miami Heat
Every star seems to have their time in Miami. Maybe it’s about time Kyrie Irving gave it a go in South Beach. The warm weather might make him a little less uptight?
On Miami’s side, something clearly isn’t working out. Kyle Lowry doesn’t quite seem like the answer as the team’s point guard, and a Lowry-for-Irving swap might be something the Nets would be open to. It replaces Irving with a former All-Star guard who would be under contract through next season.
Emphasis on the former though. Lowry’s scoring and assisting is down to near career-low per-game levels, and his shooting has dipped below 40 percent from the field (second-worst only to his Memphis days) but playing alongside Kevin Durant might give him the boost he needs.
Like most destinations, we don’t love it, but the Irving headache makes this a perpetual balancing act no matter who takes him on. The Heat should be in on the calls, at the very least. Expect Pat Riley to try to do his thing and give it a try.