Mavs’ Kyrie Irving for Deandre Ayton Trade? Suns Insider Offers Hints
DALLAS — The Dallas Mavericks' top offseason priority will be to retain Kyrie Irving after trading for him before the Feb. 9 deadline. He will be among the top available talents set to reach NBA free agency. Will he return to the Mavs?
An often speculated possible landing spot for Irving is the Los Angeles Lakers to team up with LeBron James once again. It's become commonly reported that the Lakers are 'disinterested' in the possibility of acquiring Irving, given the success the team has achieved with their midseason trade acquisitions.
Another team that has been often speculated as a possible Irving destination is the Phoenix Suns. During a recent episode of Burns and Gambo on Arizona Sports, John Gambadoro stated that he wouldn't overlook the possibility of the Suns acquiring Irving in a sign-and-trade with the Mavs and parting with Deandre Ayton in the process.
"I would not rule out a Kyrie Irving for Deandre Ayton trade in the offseason," Gambadoro said of the possibility.
With the cap space teams not necessarily standing out as being logical landing spots for Irving, Gambadoro sees Irving's option of going to Phoenix to rejoin forces with Kevin Durant as an appealing option.
"I'm telling you, I think that there's a possibility. KD [Durant] loves Kyrie. I don't think the Luka, Kyrie thing worked out. ... There's only like three teams with cap space, so it's gonna have to be a sign and trade."
With the Mavs and Suns being the two teams that midseason blockbuster trades, they each face the need to reconfigure their respective roster. Phoenix made it much further than Dallas, but a lack of depth is apparent for both teams, placing each under a spotlight for potential offseason activity.
Ayton is set to earn just under $32.5 million in 2023-24, making him a logical option to include in a sign-and-trade scenario for Irving for salary matching purposes. On the surface, the Mavs do need to find a long-term answer at the center position, further adding to the potential logic behind such an option.
Irving can earn a max salary worth up to $47.6 million for the first year of a new contract he signs in free agency. Phoenix would need to add an additional player or two to a trade package if Irving was to earn such a figure. A key question will be: How much less compensation would Irving be willing to take to join the Suns — if any?
The Suns would still need to be cognizant with how they handle bolstering depth around Devin Booker, Durant, and Irving. Surely, they would need to use Chris Paul's $30.8 million salary to add a few complementary talents for depth purposes.
It'd be difficult to see a favorable scenario where the Mavs ultimately would have first traded Dorian Finney-Smith, Spencer Dinwiddie, a 2029 first-round pick, and multiple second-round picks for Irving, then move Irving for Ayton. That's a lot to effectively give up for a center on an expensive contract.
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