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Why Kyrie Irving Will End Up In Phoenix
Ever since Kyrie Irving asked for a trade, the rumor mill hasn’t stopped producing.
But when evaluating the rumors and possibilites, one destination sticks out, and seems to be the most realistic; the Phoenix Suns.
The Suns are not among the four teams Irving named as his favorite destinations (Minnesota, New York, Miami, San Antonio), but in the end, it is the Cavaliers’ decision whether and where to trade Kyire.
LeBron James is currently working out in Las Vegas. He is joined by some other NBA players, interestingly enough, Phoenix guard Eric Bledsoe is one of them. James has worked out with Bledsoe over the summer in the past, they are close friends, and James is back to actively recruiting (Rose, Green) players, even though he said that he will stay out of the trade discussions, letting the front office and new general manager Koby Altman handle things.
Also, LeBron & Eric Bledsoe work out together most summers & have a relationship. Vegas workouts are unrelated to Kyrie trade issue.
— Brian Windhorst (@WindhorstESPN) July 27, 2017
We should also be aware of Eric Bledsoe being represented by Klutch Sports, the same agency that represents LeBron James, Tristan Thompson and JR Smith.
It’s also worth noting that the Phoenix Suns just hired James Jones as their new Vice President of Basketball Operations. Jones was basically a teammate of LeBron for most of his career, and was a player on the Cavaliers for the past three years. He knows Kyrie Irving, and he knows what he’s worth.
We would already be closer to a possible trade, if the Suns were willing to include Josh Jackson into the deal, which they ruled out. They see him as their re-building centerpiece alongside Devin Booker.
The Phoenix Suns will NOT include Josh Jackson in any trade for Kyrie Irving.
— John Gambadoro (@Gambo987) July 25, 2017
At first glance, a trade without Josh Jackson being included, seems to be unrealistc for the Cavaliers. But he Suns still have enough assets to get the deal done. The Suns could offer Bledsoe, add Marquese Chriss and/or TJ Warren (maybe Tyson Chandler) as well as a first round pick, and I doubt that the Cavs would hesitate to take such offer.
When we take a closer look on the teams Kyrie has named as potential landing spots, we’ll find out that a possible Phoenix offer could not be matched by either of these four teams.
The New York Knicks refuse to give up Kritaps Porzingis, rightfully so, and Carmelo Anthony is Houston-bound. The Knicks don’t have anything to offer, and as much as Kyrie wants to joint them, it’s a no-deal for the Cavs.
The Miami Heat would have to include several first round picks in a package with Goran Dragic and possibly Justise Winslow, which they aren’t willing to give up.
The San Antonio Spurs, don’t have any interesting assets for the Cavaliers. Players are either too old or not good enogh, and the picks most likely would be far, far away from the lottery.
The Minnesota Timberwolves don’t want to move Andrew Wiggins, which basically stops all furhter negotiations. A possible package of Jeff Teague and Gorgui Dieng would not be possible before December, because the Wolves just signed Teague on July 1st.
This leaves us with two possibilities.
- Kyrie Irving staying in Cleveland
- Kyrie Irving being traded to Phoenix
I think that the Cavaliers and Suns will eventually agree on a deal that sends Irving to Arizona.
