A Kyrie Irving Trade for Each Team in the League
A deep dive into what every team could give for the Cleveland’s disgruntled star

Each day brings new Kyrie Irving drama. A ton of teams are trying to get in on the sweepstakes for the 25 year old offensive superstar. In my opinion, there are eight tiers of teams in the Kyrie Irving sweepstakes.
Tier 8: Teams that aren’t making the trade
The Warriors are standing pat, Portland has Lillard and McCollum, the Wizards have John Wall, the Thunder have Russell Westbrook, and the Rockets have Harden and CP3. It would make no sense for these teams to trade for Kyrie.
A trade with Boston is almost certainly not happening because of their place in the Eastern Conference, but they definitely have the pieces for the trade. They would have to move on from Isaiah Thomas, who is a beloved player in Boston and a poor defensive player, so for Cleveland it isn’t worth getting into. The only way Cleveland listens is if a combo of Jaylen Brown, Jae Crowder or Marcus Smart are coming to Cleveland to improve their defense, and that seem unlikely.
That leaves us with 24 teams to go.
Tier 7: Rebuilding Teams With Little Veteran Talent
Indiana Pacers: The Pacers do not have anything to offer the Cavs. Maybe Oladipo, but nothing with him other than Myles Turner, who is not getting moved and doesn’t fit on the Cavs anyway. ESPN projects an 11 win drop-off if Oladipo and Kyrie were swapped straight up. Yikes.
Philadelphia 76ers: We’re not breaking up the process just as it starts. Maybe Markelle Fultz and Dario Saric for Kyrie could make sense for the Cavs, but the 76ers are going to wait. Irving wouldn’t get extra touches next to point forward Ben Simmons; it isn’t worth it.
Los Angeles Lakers: The Lakers are not giving up cap space for young guys just as Lonzo Ball arrives, when they can sign Paul George, Lebron and others next summer. KCP, Ingram and Randle might make the Cavs think for a second, but it’s unlikely.
Brooklyn Nets: In order for the Cavs to trade Kyrie to the Nets, they would have to get back every real NBA player the Nets have (I’m higher on Demarre Carroll than most), the Nets would have to take back contracts the Cavs don’t want, and Brooklyn would still have to throw in picks/pick swaps. You could maybe (definitely not) see the Cavs arguing two 3-and-D wings in Carroll and Crabbe, the young D’Angelo Russell, a real NBA starter in Jeremy Lin. Sorry Brooklyn, it’s not happening.
Chicago Bulls: The Lebron-Wade reunion makes the salaries work, but Chicago would have to include every other intriguing player on the roster. They would also have to include at least one pick. There’s no question that this would bolster the Cavs depth, but none of these players other than Robin Lopez or Mirotic would be starters on an average team. It’s much likelier that Wade gets bought out mid season and joins the Cavs on a minimum instead of this, especially considering the Bulls didn’t trade Jimmy Butler just to get another star guard who can’t get them out of mediocrity.
Dallas Mavericks: Dallas is in rebuilding mode, and has intriguing prospects in Dennis Smith, Yogi Ferrell and Nerlens Noel (when he eventually re-signs). That being said, Nerlens might be the only one of those three who could actually contribute to the Cavs today, and he plays the same position as Tristan Thompson. Smith, Nerlens and Harrison Barnes for Kyrie could work. Cleveland wouldn’t do this because Smith is not a proven starter. Dallas wouldn’t do this because the combination of Kyrie and Dirk might not even make the playoffs in the loaded West. It isn’t worth giving up on Nerlens and Smith.
Sacramento Kings: They just traded Boogie, so why not move their young guys for Kyrie? They have assets but not rotation level talent other than George Hill and Z-Bo, who can’t be traded until December 15th. Maybe a trade of Hill, Z-Bo, Buddy Hield, Skal Labissiere and a pick could cut it. George Hill would be a great fit next to Lebron. But It’s not happening for the Kings.
Tier 6: Not Enough Assets
San Antonio Spurs: The Spurs just don’t have the pieces for a trade, although they’re on Kyrie’s list. Patty Mills and Danny Green make the Cavs better equipped to play the Warriors, but are not enough to entice the Cavs for one of the best young scorers in the game in Irving. LaMarcus Aldridge is past his prime and not a fit in Cleveland’s crowded frontcourt. Dejounte Murray is an interesting project, but not really interesting enough for Cleveland.
Miami Heat: The Heat are a team stocked with players that are more valuable to them than any other team in the league. James Johnson was a wonderful point forward last year for the Heat, but wouldn’t be playing the same role in Cleveland. Justise Winslow would be enticing if he wasn’t recovering from a torn labrum in his shoulder, and it isn’t promising that the team turned around as soon as he got hurt. Hasaan Whiteside is a center who could be great with Lebron, but not with Kevin Love and Tristan Thompson. Dion Waiters is not coming back to Cleveland, and the Heat don’t control their pick this year. They just don’t have enough pieces.
Los Angeles Clippers: The Clippers only asset to trade is DeAndre Jordan, who wouldn’t fit next to Tristan and Love. It doesn’t really make sense for either side, although Patrick Beverly is the perfect guard for the Cavs against the Warriors. They just don’t have enough other talent.
New York Knicks: It’s reported that Kyrie badly wants to play for the Knicks, but Carmelo Anthony reportedly will not waive his no trade clause to go anywhere but Houston. The Knicks only other asset is Frank Ntilikina, who is too raw to be valuable to Cleveland. They would likely have to move on from ALL of their future draft picks as well, so a deal happening is unlikely.
Tier 5: Not Inconceivable, but Unlikely
Atlanta Hawks: Another team with not enough rotation talent for the Cavs, so why not get a third team involved? The Cavs get Schroeder and Tauren Prince from the Hawks, a young wing on a rookie deal who is already a great defensive player. They also get Harrison Barnes from the Mavs, and the Hawks give the Mavs prospect DeAndre Bembry and a 1st round pick. Other salaries move around, including Bazemore to the Mavs and Shumpert to the Hawks. This is unlikely because the talent return for the Cavs isn’t enough (I am not high on Harrison Barnes), but does improve the Cavs depth.
The motives for each team are reasonable; the Mavs offload Barnes, get a young guy in Bembry and a 1st round pick to continue their rebuild, the Cavs get a starting point guard, young prospect and quality wing, and the Hawks get a star in Kyrie. However, it doesn’t make much sense because the Hawks are just entering the rebuild after letting Paul Millsap walk.
Toronto Raptors: These two Eastern Conference rivals might have some common ground in a trade. The Derozan-Lowry combination has not worked in the playoffs, and Irving is a proven playoff commodity. Lowry is a great defender, able to complement Kyrie in the backcourt. Derozan gives Lebron another playmaker, and his slashing ability might be able to maintain the ridiculous efficiency that is the Cavs’ offense. Wright and Powell are both defensive players who would fit right into the Cavs rotation, and Shumpert gets a new start in Toronto.
The problem for Cleveland is that teams would try and dare Derozan and Lebron to shoot, because neither is a phenomenal from beyond the arc. Kyrie and Lowry are also two ball dominant guards, and Irving would be walking into Lowry’s team, not his own. Not sure Masai Ujiri would be up for that.
Memphis Grizzlies: Mike Conley is the perfect fit for Lebron. He can handle the ball, but doesn’t need to be the ball handler to be successful. He can defend any other guard in the league. His deal is massive, but his value to Memphis is irreplaceable because of what he means to the city. He has more years on his deal than Kyrie, which doesn’t matter to Cleveland but should be important to a small market like Memphis. It’s unlikely the Grizzlies decide to move on from one of the three best players in franchise history in their prime.
New Orleans Pelicans: The Pelicans lone asset is Demarcus Cousins, but he would only fit if the Cavs moved Love, Thompson or both. Cousins might also not fit temperamentally with Lebron and the Cavs, so it’s too many moving pieces for this to actually happen. Here is a 4-teamer just for fun. Phoenix gets all of Utah’s interesting young pieces, Utah gets an offensive focal point in Love and takes on the awful Brandon Knight contract, New Orleans gets the Derrick Favors expiring and Kyrie to pair with Anthony Davis, and the Cavs get Bledsoe, Boogie and E’twaun Moore.
Tier 4: Interesting Young Pieces
Orlando Magic: The Magic have an abundance of young players that haven’t worked together on the basketball court, but might be great in other situations. Aaron Gordon could play a similar role to Draymond eventually as a small ball 5/stretch 4 who can anchor a defense and cut to the paint on offense, but has been misused as a small forward in Orlando. He probably would be misused in Cleveland as well because of Love and Thompson, limiting his potential. Elfrid Payton would replace Kyrie’s minutes, can guard Steph Curry admirably, and is a great rebounder for his position. Evan Fournier as a wing in Cleveland can hit open 3’s and ball handle off of the bench, although his contract isn’t great.
These pieces give depth to Cleveland in a Golden State match-up, and are young enough to justify building for the future. Their collective shooting isn’t great, but the Cavs won’t have trouble scoring with Lebron and Love. For Orlando, they get a bonafide young star for players that have not turned Orlando into anything other than one of the worst teams in the league.
Minnesota Timberwolves: The Wolves are an interesting partner for the Cavs because of the Kevin Love-Andrew Wiggins trade a few years ago. Wiggins is overrated because of his scoring. He is an awful rebounder for his size, and has a very low steal percentage. He is a poor passer, and not a good enough defender to play against the Warriors. Look at how Wiggins, number 22, lets his man Andre Iguodala get open at the three point line, and allows the driving Steph Curry get to the lane without even trying to knock the ball away.

Just because he looks like a great wing doesn’t mean he is. Washington Post writer Tim Bontemps compared him to Rudy Gay, a scoring wing who might actually make his team worse. If the Wolves could turn him into Kyrie Irving, you have to make that move. Recently signed Jeff Teague is a good starter to replace Kyrie, but not exceptional enough defensively to justify Wiggins. If the Cavs trade Irving for Teague and Wiggins, it will not end well in Cleveland. But because of Wiggins great scoring, the Cavs might be tricked into it.
Tier 3: Serviceable Veterans
Charlotte Hornets: The Hornets decide to move on from Kemba Walker and throw in a real 3-and-D wing in Nicolas Batum (although he’s not a great shooter). The Cavs crunch time lineup of Kemba, Batum, Lebron, Love, Tristan? Kemba Walker is really freaking good, and although it’s a high price in Kyrie, depth and defense is what held the Cavs back from challenging the Warriors. The combination of these two might really make a difference. And if the Cavs could get the Hornets to throw in Kidd-Gilchrist, then you really have the wings to create a top 10 defense.
Utah Jazz: Utah has a ton of defensive depth to give to Cleveland, as well as young interesting pieces. Number 1 on that list for Cleveland would be Ricky Rubio, although his strengths as a playmaker might be neutralized by Lebron. However, he is a fantastic defender and rebounder who shot better the second half of last season. They would also have to throw in a young wing like Rodney Hood, on his rookie deal and above average from corner 3’s. The Cavs could then ask for Joe Ingles to be another 3-and-D plug who could get into crunch time lineups for Cleveland.
The Jazz could even push it and add expiring Derrick Favors, who doesn’t necessarily fit with Love and Thompson, but could either be traded again to another team or play great minutes on the bench. There’s also Dante Exum, a 22-year old, 6’6” point guard who is a ridiculous athlete, is on his rookie deal, and has only played two years in the league. There are lots of possibilities with Utah, who need scoring to bolster their top 5 defense after losing Gordon Hayward. With Rudy Gobert, Donovan Mitchell, and the other depth of the Jazz, they can give up players and still have a great defense.
However, I don’t know if Utah would be smart to move on from Rubio before even trying him out. He has the same amount of years left as Kyrie and might flourish in Utah, and it’s the Jazz’s depth that separates them from other teams out West. They are a very interesting partner if the Cavs want to go all in on defensive depth around Love and Lebron.
Tier 2: Teams that Can Overpay
Milwaukee Bucks: The Cavs need defense and 3 point shooting. In Lebron and Love, they have ball handlers already. The Bucks have an excess of both of these things. Rookie of the year Malcolm Brogdon is a perfect 3-and-D fit in Cleveland to guard Steph. Khris Middleton would immediately become the best wing defender on the team, and is a great three point shooter. If these two aren’t enough, reuniting Dellavedova and Cavaliers give them a real backup point guard that they missed last year. The Bucks have enough young talent to make it happen. Not enough? Throw in Jabari Parker, who was fantastic before he got hurt last year.
The Bucks probably shouldn’t give up on their depth of lengthy defenders who can stretch the floor around Giannis, but if they decide to, a Kyrie-Giannis pick and roll is as great a play you can imagine. If the rumors of Giannis wanting out are real, combined with his ominous comments made last Sunday, Milwaukee might need to throw in their assets to try and win now. Could this Bucks team beat the Cavs in a series if they had Kyrie? It could be an interesting bet. What might hold back this trade is the Cavs giving Kyrie to a competitor in the East who could challenge them this year.
Denver Nuggets: Denver is dying to make the playoffs, and adding Kyrie Irving would definitely make their chance stronger. The problem is that Denver is already one of the best offensive teams in the league, but has an awful defense. They added Paul Millsap to that defense this offseason, and he should fit perfectly next to up and coming star Nikola Jokic. The Nuggets could give up the very promising Gary Harris combined with sophomore guard Jamal Murray, and include wings like Wilson Chandler and Will Barton.
Even though Denver might be better off holding onto their depth and youth, the team is facing a lot of pressure just to make the playoffs. Kyrie Irving is one of the best marketed players in the league, with one of the best selling shoes. Denver might see his stardom as a huge money-maker. It’s because of this that they would make the deal.
This might be too much talent and depth for Cleveland to pass up. Chandler is a perfect wing to defend Golden State. Gary Harris is an elite off the ball shooter and has the makings of a star offensive guard. Will Barton is already a great off the bench scorer, and Murray is an exciting prospect. Denver could even include future picks. It’s an interesting option, although if I was Denver, I would hold onto their pieces.

Phoenix Suns: The Suns are the most conventional option for the Cavs. They have a point guard replacement in Eric Bledsoe. They have the young defensive wing in Josh Jackson, who Lebron wants. They have the three point shooting veteran in Jared Dudley. They have a Miami 1st round pick if it’s outside the top 7 in 2018 or unprotected in 2019. They have other interesting young guys in Dragan Bender and Marquese Chriss if Cleveland is interested. And they have cap space to take on Iman Shumpert. The combination of Bledsoe, Jackson, Dudley and the Miami pick is something that will be hard to pass up on if you’re Cleveland.
Tier 1: The Sleeper Move
Detroit Pistons: The Cavs decide they need a change of strategy. The Pistons want to move on from Andre Drummond. Avery Bradley is a noted Steph Curry kryptonite and might be the defensive guard the Cavs need to complement Lebron. This deal would have to involve a third team and couldn’t happen until September 7th because Bradley was recently traded, but makes some sense. The Pistons grab Tristan Thompson to replace Drummond with Kyrie. The Cavs also take Tobias Harris, a wing who could play crunch time for the Cavs against the Warriors.
This trade is unlikely in that the Cavs would be moving on from Tristan and Kyrie, two of their four best players, but the pieces you’re getting back might give the Warriors extra trouble. A starting lineup of Avery Bradley, JR Smith, Lebron, Kevin Love and Andre Drummond is going to get a ton of rebounds, a must in order to beat the Warriors. And even if Drummond is slow footed against the Warriors defense, a crunch time lineup of Bradley-JR-Lebron-Harris-Love seems like it could actually play against the lineup of death. Stan Van Gundy wants to move on from Drummond, and this would give him a fresh start with a star in Kyrie and top big in Tristan Thompson.

And why not try a three teamer with San Antonio? The Spurs want to get rid of Aldridge and could pickup Tristan Thompson, and the Pistons are home to two stars who want new homes.
The Cavs desperately need someone to guard Steph Curry, and Bradley is the perfect fit. Harris is an average wing defender who can fill minutes. Drummond might be the best rebounder in the league. The Pistons want to move on from him. This might be the sleeper move for the Cavs that can get them past the Warriors.
