Brooklyn wasn’t short of offers once Kyrie Irving requested a trade two days ago.
He has been traded to the Dallas Mavericks but there were plenty of other NBA teams interested in the guard, despite his tumultuous last few seasons with the Nets.
Let’s take a look at what could have been:
LEONARD GETS HIS WISH
The Clippers were a late inclusion as a potential candidate for Irving.
LAC did make a “strong offer” for Irving, and coach Ty Lue, who won a championship with Irving in Cleveland, was open to coaching him once more, The Athletic’s Law Murray said.
The Clippers really did need a point guard and it just so happened that Kawhi Leonard reportedly made a plea to the Clippers’ front office to add a skilled player in that very position just days before Irving’s announcement.
The Clippers offer for Kyrie Irving:
-Luke Kennard
-Terance Mann
-One future first
-Two first-round pick swaps
-Salary filler
(via Kevin O’Connor)
IRVING X LEBRON PART 2
Everyone was hyped when LeBron tweeted about Irving’s trade request. It seemed like James was keen to get another experienced player in, someone he played with at the Cavs, to help LA to the play-ins and better their current position.
However, the fairytale didn’t happen.
Contract issues were reportedly the main driving factor behind the rejected deal. Los Angeles wasn’t keen to give Brooklyn the type of package it wanted unless Irving would accept a two-year, $78.6 million extension, effective immediately.
The Athletic’s Sam Amick explained: “Irving strongly prefers to play his current contract out with his hypothetical new team and sign a four-year, $198 million maximum salary deal that would be available to him this summer (because the team trading for him would also acquire his Bird rights). That revelation wasn’t a deal breaker, but it was an eyebrow-raiser. The Lakers, the source said, would offer significantly less in a deal if it’s clear Irving was only guaranteed to be a second-half rental.”
Lakers offer for Kyrie Irving:
-Russell Westbrook
-First round pick
(via Ian Begley)
IRVING CHASING THE SUN
With recent reports around the Suns looking to a future without Chris Paul, it made sense for them to include a deal with him in it, as well as Jae Crowder, who has been sitting out all season.
Phoenix was “viewed as one of the few teams capable of facilitating a deal with Brooklyn that could keep both teams in championship pursuit,” Chris Haynes said before Irving was snapped up.
Irving and Booker could have developed some great on-court chemistry and with the shots Irving can make, he could have taken the team back to the glory days of the 2021 postseason.
It’s now onto the next for Phoenix, who reportedly would make a play for Kevin Durant, should he become available.
Suns offer for Kyrie Irving:
-Chris Paul
-Jae Crowder
-Unspecified Picks