Kyrie Irving Could Be Traded To Los Angeles... Joining The Clippers
This past offseason, there was a ton of speculation about what the Brooklyn Nets would do with Kyrie Irving.
Coming off a season in which he only played in 29 games, the relationship between the Nets and Irving seemed broken and there was a moment in which many around the league though that the All-Star guard could potentially opt out of his $36.9 million player option for this season, especially given that Kevin Durant had requested a trade and was frustrated with the organization.
Ultimately, Brooklyn came to terms with their two All-Stars and everything seemed to calm down, especially after they moved on from head coach Steve Nash and appointed Jacque Vaughn as the new head coach of the team.
Currently 31-20 and 5.5 games back of first-place in the Eastern Conference, the Brooklyn Nets are looking like a real threat and with Kevin Durant on the mend from an injured MCL in his right knee, the Nets could make a real run at the top spot in the conference.
Well, that is if they have both of their star players and things are not looking good for Kyrie Irving’s future with the team.
After his agent/stepmother came out last week saying that Irving would like to remain in Brooklyn on a new long-term extension, stating that the ball was “in the Nets court,” reports came out on Friday saying that Irving has officially requested a trade from the Nets ahead of next Thursday’s trade deadline.
What will the Nets do now and will Kyrie Irving be on the move?
Whenever Irving’s name has come up in trade talks, the Los Angeles Lakers have always been linked to him given his relationships with both LeBron James and Anthony Davis, but that other team in Los Angeles has a clear need in their backcourt right now and they have proven that they are not afraid to make big moves.
The Los Angeles Clippers have slowly started to creep up the standings in the Western Conference with Kawhi Leonard and Paul George healthy, plus they have an owner in Steve Ballmer who is not afraid to open up his wallet and pay for superstar talent that can potentially win him a championship.
As things stand this season, the Clippers have the league’s largest active cap and they are one of the highest tax paying teams. However, that does not mean that they cannot land Kyrie Irving in a trade ahead of next week’s trade deadline.
They do not have any draft picks, which may not help them much in trade talk right now, but they may not ultimately need draft capital in order to trade for Irving.
Here’s the thing with the Nets right now – They have been thrown into a very bad position with limited time to make a decision ahead of this year’s deadline. Sure, they could just keep Irving on their roster and not trade him, but will he potentially sit out games and if Brooklyn does not trade him, will he actually leave in the offseason and give the Nets no assets in return?
The idea of a sign-and-trade is certainly a possibility for Irving and the Nets trending towards the offseason, but for Lawrence Frank, Michael Winger and the Clippers’ front-office, this is their chance to make the championship move they need to make and solidify themselves as the best team in the league.
How can the Clippers make this happen you may ask?
Well, Kawhi Leonard and Paul George are making a combined $84.8 million this season, making this team’s financial flexibility very slim. However, the Clippers have players like Norman Powell ($16.7 million), Marcus Morris Sr. ($16.3 million), Luke Kennard ($14.4 million), Robert Covington ($12.3 million) and Reggie Jackson ($11.2 million) whose salaries can be combined to meet Irving’s $36.9 million potential incoming salary.
The Clippers also have Terrance Mann as a potential young asset they can leverage as well.
Should Los Angeles look to make a move for Irving ahead of this deadline, a third team would likely be needed, as Brooklyn currently has 15 players on their roster. This could also work out in the Clippers’ favor, as that third team acquiring a player like Powell, Morris or Jackson could give up a first-round pick that would be directed back to Brooklyn.
Who knows what will ultimately happen next for the Brooklyn Nets and Kyrie Irving, as this may just be a ploy from Irving’s side in order to get the contract they ultimately want.
We saw Kevin Durant request a trade this past offseason, as mentioned earlier, and the team was ultimately able to work out their difference, so it is definitely possible that the same could happen here with Irving.
However, the writing has been on the wall for quite some time now about Irving and the Nets seeing different futures, which is why the Clippers must get involved right now in trade discussions for Kyrie Irving while they have the chance to do so.
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