The Mavericks acquired Kyrie Irving on Sunday, and the Lakers reportedly made a competitive offer to the Nets for LeBron James’ old teammate.
But Dallas and Los Angeles apparently weren’t the only teams in pursuit of the star point guard over the weekend.
The Suns, who entered Monday as the fifth seed in the Western Conference, also threw their hat in the Irving sweepstakes, per The Athletic’s Shams Charania. Phoenix reportedly was willing to send two proven veterans to Brooklyn — including a future Hall of Famer — but the organization ultimately lost interest as the Nets started to make headway elsewhere.
“Phoenix offered a package around (Chris) Paul, Jae Crowder and one first-round pick, sources said,” Charania wrote in a column published Sunday. “The offer was made within the first 18 hours of Irving’s trade request, and it’s believed that three first-round picks could have clinched a deal, multiple league sources said. However, the Suns never added those picks and failed to make a better offer, beginning to lose interest in a trade for Irving as time went on.”
The Suns’ reported willingness to part with Paul and Crowder isn’t surprising. Phoenix and the veteran forward remain at odds, as Crowder hasn’t played a single game this season. The oft-injured Paul, meanwhile, turns 38 in early May and is guaranteed $15.8 million next season.
Where do the Suns go from here? Phoenix reportedly is a potential landing spot for Fred VanVleet, who could be moved by the struggling Toronto Raptors ahead of Thursday’s trade deadline. And if Kevin Durant wants to leave Brooklyn now that Irving has, the Suns reportedly are prepared to stage a KD pursuit.
