Kyrie Irving Injury Kills Former All-Star's Knicks Dream

The New York Knicks won't be trading for the injured Kyrie Irving anytime soon.

Mar 3, 2025; Dallas, Texas, USA; Dallas Mavericks guard Kyrie Irving (11) drives to the basket past Sacramento Kings forward Keegan Murray (13) during the first quarter at the American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images | Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

The New York Knicks are rocking with Jalen Brunson, but former NBA All-Star Jeff Teague proposed the idea of trading him for Dallas Mavericks guard Kyrie Irving.

However, Irving tore his ACL in Monday night's game against the Sacramento Kings, knocking him out for the rest of the season.

“If you trade Jalen Brunson back to the Mavericks for Kyrie Irving, nobody would be mad in New York," Teague said on a recent episode of his podcast.

"Even though Jalen Brunson kills in the Garden, the way Kyrie’s going to make it look in the Garden, he’s going to put on a show; everyone would go to the game and be happy."

"Jalen Brunson puts on shows, too, but the way Kyrie plays is more of a movie. The way he moves and plays is just way more exciting. They’re probably the same level of player, like how effective they are in the game, but they just go about it a different way. The way Kyrie goes about it is more entertaining for a place that wants to be a show; it’s a show when you go to New York, the Garden, they put on shows, and Kyrie puts on a show, just in a different way," he continued.

The Knicks have Brunson signed onto a four-year extension after the final two seasons of his current deal complete, meaning he is under contract until 2030. A trade would have been next to impossible before the injury, but now those dreams are certainly dead.

Irving has a player option for next season, which he will now likely accept, as he recovers from his injury. Maybe a trade is possible afterwards, but it likely won't be in a straight swap for Brunson.

Brunson and the Knicks are set to play Irving's Mavericks with him on the bench on Tuesday, Mar. 25 at Madison Square Garden.

Make sure you bookmark Knicks on SI for the latest news, exclusive interviews, film breakdowns as and so much more!