Potential Kyrie Landing Spots
Kyrie Irving has requested to be traded. While I don't agree with his demand, I can understand where the Cavaliers All-Star point guard is coming from. LeBron will be a free-agent after next season and has not given the Cavs any indication that he will be back. Kyrie does not want to be hung out to dry if (more likely when) LeBron bolts town. Instead, he wants to operate from a position of power and dictate his next destination. While it isn't completely under Irving's control given that he does not possess a no-trade clause, the Cavaliers guard will have plenty of enticing opportunities if in fact he is stern about his desire to leave Cleveland. Assuming so, here are a few trades that make some sense for all parties involved.
1. Knicks receive Kyrie Irving, Cavaliers receive Carmelo Anthony and an unprotected first-round pick. Kyrie has already stated that New York is one of his desired destinations, which makes sense given that he grew up in New Jersey. In this scenario the Knicks would land a dynamic scoring guard who is on the same trajectory and of a similar age as Kristaps Porzingis, while the Cavs would receive one of LeBron's dearest friends in Melo and a first-rounder, which they could desperately use given that they have traded away numerous picks over the past few seasons.
2. Suns receive Kyrie Irving and Channing Frye, Cavaliers receive Eric Bledsoe and Devin Booker. I think the Suns love Booker too much to allow this, but when a superstar is on the table, who knows. For the Cavs, Bledsoe would be an ideal defensive player when it comes time to play Golden State and Booker would be the most prolific shooter that LeBron has ever had at his disposal. While, yes, the Cavs would be losing Kyrie, they would be strengthening their overall roster and giving themselves a better chance come June.
3. Clippers receive Kyrie Irving and Tristan Thompson, Cavaliers receive DeAndre Jordan, Patrick Beverley and Lou Williams. The Cavaliers would be adding three elements to their roster that they desperately need: rim protection, perimeter defense, and bench scoring. That is what would be provided by Jordan, Beverley, and Williams respectively. The Clippers would be getting a crafty point guard to replace Chris Paul and to pair going forward with Blake Griffin. While the fit of Griffin and Thompson is not perfect, Thompson would be a quality addition to any roster given his hard-nosed style of play.
