NBA Odds: Which Teams Have Best Chance At Landing Kyrie Irving?
Most of the contenders are from the Western Conference
Brooklyn Nets guard Kyrie Irving is the leading topic of NBA discussions for all the wrong reasons again.
Irving fueled more drama by reportedly requesting a trade Friday and wants the Nets to deal him prior to next Thursday's trade deadline.
Irving, who was recently named an All-Star Game starter and is averaging 27.1 points, 5.3 assists and 5.1 rebounds per game this season, has elite talent that any NBA team would covet if not for the controversy the 30-year-old always seems to step in.
But despite all of Irving's shortcomings, there appears to be a line of suitors already forming and showing interest in acquiring the skilled guard. The Los Angeles Lakers are viewed as a top destination for Irving, and the favorite to land him, according to PointsBet, as it would reunite the disgruntled star with former teammate LeBron James.
There are a few other Western Conference teams reportedly in the mix, as well as an Eastern Conference contender.
In all, PointsBet had nine teams on its betting sheet to trade for Irving, and this is where the odds currently stand as of 6 p.m. ET on Friday:
Los Angeles Lakers +125
Miami Heat +275
Dallas Mavericks +300
Los Angeles Clippers +400
Phoenix Suns +400
Chicago Bulls +800
Utah Jazz +1000
Minnesota Timberwolves +1400
Sacramento Kings +2000
It's clear there are five true contenders to vie for Irving. The Mavericks would be an interesting option, as obtaining Irving and pairing him next to MVP candidate Luka Doncic would give Dallas the best backcourt in the NBA.
It's good news for the Boston Celtics that the top teams in the Irving sweepstakes are from the Western Conference, but whichever team Irving gets dealt to certainly will have to give up some key assets in the trade.
