Three-Team Trade Ideas That Bring Kyrie Irving to the Timberwolves

Of all the somewhat realistic, non-Giannis players the Timberwolves could theoretically acquire this offseason, Mavericks guard Kyrie Irving might be at or near the top of the list in terms of fit and championship-level talent. The nine-time All-Star and 2016 champion is a prolific scorer and playmaker who could take a lot of pressure off of Anthony Edwards in Minnesota's backcourt.

There are risks with Irving, certainly. He's 34 and hasn't played in a game since March of 2025 due to a torn ACL, having missed all of last season. Since the 2018-19 season, he's reached the 60-game mark one time. He was also involved in an off-the-field controversy several years back. But his age and injury history should, on paper, reduce the cost of acquiring him.

And the upside of pairing Irving with Edwards could be tremendous. He's had time to let his knee heal and should be at 100 percent for the start of next season. He continues to play at a very high level when on the court, having averaged basically 25-5-5 on 49/40/92 shooting splits with the Mavericks since he landed there in a 2023 trade. He has championship pedigree and would fit seamlessly alongside Edwards and Jaden McDaniels in Minnesota.

With that said, if the Wolves are going to trade for Irving, it's hard to come up with a one-for-one deal with the Mavericks that makes sense for both sides. Julius Randle or Rudy Gobert would be needed to make the money work, but the young Mavs have no need for an older frontcourt player when they already have Cooper Flagg, Dereck Lively II, and Daniel Gafford on the roster.

If it's going to happen, a third team will probably have to be involved. Tim Connelly and the Wolves need to find a team that has interest in Randle or Gobert and has picks or other assets that can be sent to the Mavericks in order to bring Irving to Minnesota. Let's take a crack at it.

Proposal 1

Timberwolves get: Kyrie Irving
Nets get: Julius Randle, Max Christie
Mavericks get: Michael Porter Jr., Terrence Shannon Jr., 2027 first-round pick (from BKN via NYK), 2027 second-round pick (from MIN via CLE)

The Wolves land Irving by moving on from Randle and tossing in Shannon and a second-rounder. The Mavs lose Irving but add shooting with Porter's expiring $41 million contract, land a quality young guard in Shannon, and add a couple picks. The Nets part with a Knicks first-rounder to get off of Porter's contract and bring in Randle — who could raise the floor around their young core — and a solid young shooter in Christie.

Proposal 2

Timberwolves get: Kyrie Irving, Ryan Kalkbrenner
Hornets get: Rudy Gobert, Terrence Shannon Jr.
Mavericks get: Miles Bridges, Josh Green, 2027 first-round pick (from CHA via DAL), 2026 second-round pick (from MIN via DEN or GSW)

In this one, the Wolves move on from on Gobert, instead of Randle. They send Gobert and Shannon to the Hornets and a second-round pick to the Mavs. They get back Irving and a young shot-blocking big in Kalkbrenner, who can join Joan Beringer and Rocco Zikarsky in their stable of young centers.

The Hornets get Gobert, who could massively raise the defensive floor around the core of LaMelo Ball, Kon Knueppel, and Brandon Miller. The Mavs get back their own top-two protected 2027 first-round pick, which they sent to the Hornets in the 2024 P.J. Washington trade. They also get Green back from Charlotte and take on Bridges' contract.

Are either of these ideas perfect? Probably not. But what they represent is the general idea of what it might look like if Kyrie Irving is going to wear a Wolves jersey next season. Connelly's going to have to get creative to find something that makes sense for both the Mavericks and a third team. It's a difficult task, but certainly not an impossible one.

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