From the moment that Kyrie Irving’s trade request went public, everyone assumed it would be the Los Angeles Lakers who’d end up with the star point guard.
Since the offseason, Kyrie has announced his intentions to sign with the Purple and Gold and it’s believed that they are the only team willing to make a long-term commitment to him.
According to ESPN’s Brian Windhorst, however, the Los Angeles Clippers are also in the Irving sweepstakes. And, in fact, they may actually be in a better position to trade for him than the Lakers.
“The LA Clippers have been the team that has been leading the pursuit of point guards in this trade deadline market. I think that the Clippers would be skeptical of going for Kyrie Irving and upsetting the balance that they have. Having said that, the Clippers have assets that the Nets actually might want. They have players under contract, under control that if you traded, that might actually get the Nets more interested than an expiring Russell Westbrook contract. Because I don’t think that the Lakers can honestly give those [future first-round picks] for Kyrie Irving if he’s a possible rental. And that’s really the issue here is, do you value him as a rental or do you value him as a player you have to try and pay?”
"I think that the Clippers would be skeptical about going for Kyrie Irving and upsetting the balance that they have. Having said that: They have assets that the Nets actually might want."
🗣️ Brian Windhorstpic.twitter.com/XHLLXWLCZP
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) February 4, 2023
The Clippers have long been looking for a starting-level point guard, and John Wall has not been the answer this season. More importantly, with a treasure trove of assets, the Clips may have the best package to offer out of any team in the league.
Will The Clippers Make A Trade Before The Deadline?
Paul George and Kahwi Leonard have looked great when they’ve been on the court this season, but load management and injuries have really been set back for them.
Kyrie Irving certainly isn’t reliable when it comes to showing up consistently, but his talent for even the rest of this season could be enough to put the Clippers over the top.
If not Irving, Fred VanVleet, and Kyle Lowry have been linked to the team but it remains to be seen what they are willing to give up to get a deal done.
When it comes to Irving, they probably won’t want to give up a whole lot at all…
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