While a trio of teams has already jumped to the forefront of the brand-new Kyrie Irving trade market, the Phoenix Suns are reportedly the favorites to actually get a deal done with the Brooklyn Nets.
Kyrie Irving dropped a bomb on the NBA world Friday when it was reported that the seven-time All-Star had shockingly requested to be moved by the franchise before the Feb. 9 trade deadline. The request came after Irving made it known he wanted to stay with the Nets long-term, and the franchise made an offer that was far below his expectations.
Irving has completely changed the landscape on what was expected to be a quiet 2023 NBA trade deadline. Now, a game-changer superstar is up for grabs and three teams are already top contenders for his services. The Los Angeles Lakers, Dallas Mavericks, and Phoenix Suns.
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While all of them have solid chips to make an interesting offer, it seems only one truly has the sort of return the Nets would be looking for.
Phoenix Suns reportedly can make the most worthwhile Kyrie Irving trade offer
In the summer, the Brooklyn Nets did their due diligence when it comes to potential Kyrie Irving trades, however, there were no offers worth serious consideration. The franchise is not interested in taking several steps back in progress with a deal, and Bleacher Report NBA insider Chris Haynes reports that is a key reason why the Suns can make a better offer than the Nets or Mavericks.
“Phoenix is viewed as one of the few teams capable of facilitating a deal with Brooklyn that could keep both teams in championship pursuit.”
– Chris Haynes
While the Lakers are willing to offer future first-round picks, their next selections are years from now, and after that Russell Westbrook’s expiring contract is the other top asset they have. The Mavericks and Suns both have all their first-round picks for the rest of the decade. However, Phoenix has assets the Nets were reportedly interested in while Kevin Durant was on the trade block last summer.
- Kyrie Irving stats (2022-2023): 27.1 PPG, 5.1 RPG, 5.3 APG, 1.0 SPG, 37% 3PT
The Phoenix Suns could offer a couple of future first-round selections and impact players like Jae Crowder, Mikal Bridges, and Cameron Johnson. Stars like Deandre Ayton and Chris Paul could even potentially be in a deal to make the money work. While that might have been too much of a cost in the past, an edict was recently sent down by the team’s new owner to make major moves for star players.