It appears Kyrie Irving could wind up playing in the Western Conference next season.
Plenty of teams have been clamoring for the Cleveland Cavaliers point guard since he expressed his desire to be traded, but obviously not everyone has the pieces it’ll take to land the four-time All-Star. And because of that, the Phoenix Suns and Minnesota Timberwolves reportedly have emerged as front-runners.
Irving allegedly would prefer a trade to the T-Wolves, New York Knicks, San Antonio Spurs or Miami Heat, but NBA sources told the Miami Herald’s Barry Jackson recently that the Heat don’t see themselves as real contenders. Instead, Minnesota, which has swingman Andrew Wiggins to offer, and Phoenix, which has point guard Eric Bledsoe, seem to have the most for the Cavs in a potential deal.
Either team would make sense, as Cleveland reportedly is after a “blue-chip young player,” and both Wiggins, 22, and Bledsoe, 27, fit that description as replacements for Irving. They also have draft picks, while the Heat can’t offer a first-rounder until 2023. Their 2018 and 2020 picks belong to the Suns, and NBA rules state you can’t trade away first round picks in consecutive seasons.
The Timberwolves might have the upper hand, as multiple reports Tuesday claimed the Suns have no interest in trading rookie forward and fourth overall pick Josh Jackson. Minnesota’s addition of Jimmy Butler, whom Irving reportedly wanted to play with before the Chicago Bulls traded him, would make dealing Wiggins more feasible and would give the Cavs an even younger guard than they have in the 25-year-old Irving.
Either way, the Cavs have a chance to receive a king’s ransom in return for the ultra-talented Irving, so it wouldn’t be surprising if they drag this out in order to get the best possible deal.
Thumbnail photo via Ken Blaze/USA TODAY Sports Images
