Kyrie Irving’s trade request has clearly shaken things up for the NBA ahead of the trade deadline. It definitely wasn’t something that anyone expected, as the Brooklyn Nets are currently the 4th seed in the Eastern Conference and have been having an elite season overall with Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving at the helm.
- The Los Angeles Lakers Create A Big 3
- The Brooklyn Nets Get An All-NBA Player To Put Next To Kevin Durant
- The Chicago Bulls Receive A Huge Expiring Contract And High-Value Draft Compensation
- This Deal Could End Up Being A Win For Everyone
- Next
- Ranking The Best NBA Small Forwards By Tiers For The 2022-23 Season
- The Best NBA Player From Every Country For The 2022-23 Season
- The Best NBA Player By Every Jersey Number For The 2022-23 Season
- All-Time LeBron James Team vs. All-Time Magic Johnson Team: Who Would Win In A 7-Game Series?
- LeBron James vs. Michael Jordan Full Comparison: Who Is The Real GOAT?
One of the teams that have already registered interest in acquiring Kyrie Irving is the Los Angeles Lakers. They have been linked with him even during the summer, and it is fair to assume that they would be willing to pull out all the stops to get him. In fact, it has recently been revealed that they’d be willing to give up both of their future first-round picks for Kyrie Irving, with the report also noting that they’d likely be taking on Joe Harris’contract as well.
Meanwhile, the Brooklyn Nets will likely seek to be more competitive and will likely try to re-route one or both of the Los Angeles Lakers’ picks to try and get a suitable co-star for Kevin Durant. Here is a potential 3-team trade framework that featured the Los Angeles Lakers getting Kyrie Irving and the Brooklyn Nets getting DeMar DeRozan.
Los Angeles Lakers Receive: Kyrie Irving, Joe Harris
Brooklyn Nets Receive: DeMar DeRozan, Coby White, Andre Drummond, 2029 First-Round Pick (LAL)
Chicago Bulls Receive: Russell Westbrook, 2027 First-Round Pick (LAL). 2025 Second-Round Pick (MIA via BKN), 2028 Second-Round Pick (BKN)
There is no doubt that this trade could potentially help all three teams involved, and this is a deal with a clear upside for everyone involved. Here is why the Lakers, Nets, and Bulls should consider making this 3-team deal.
The Los Angeles Lakers Create A Big 3
Kyrie Irving is essentially the dream target for the Los Angeles Lakers due to his skill set and his having previously won a championship with LeBron James in 2016. As of right now, Kyrie Irving is averaging 27.1 PPG, 5.1 RPG, and 5.3 APG for the Brooklyn Nets.
From a basketball standpoint, Kyrie Irving would be a perfect fit with LeBron James and Anthony Davis. Though LeBron James and Anthony Davis are both superstars, the team has been missing an element of perimeter shot creation in the fourth quarter as well as overall high-level shooting. Getting Kyrie Irving would certainly address that issue and give them yet another offensive force that can break down an opposing defense. Having all three stars on the same roster would make all their lives easier from an offensive standpoint, and the Kyrie Irving deal should be a no-brainer for the Lakers.
The Los Angeles Lakers would also get Joe Harris in this deal, and that would definitely be an underrated pickup for them. He is a solid 3PT shooter that can consistently punish defenders for giving him even a small amount of space from beyond the arc. This season, Joe Harris is shooting 40.5% from beyond the arc on 4.8 attempts a game, and he would clearly help the Lakers improve their spacing around their stars.
In this deal, the Los Angeles Lakers would have to give up Russell Westbrook and their two tradeable first-round picks in 2027 and 2029. They would get a star-level player in Kyrie Irving and a high-level player in Joe Harris, which makes trading both picks absolutely worth it for the team. This is a deal that can make them championship contenders, and we’ll see if they manage to get something done.
The Brooklyn Nets Get An All-NBA Player To Put Next To Kevin Durant
Though Kyrie Irving has already requested a trade, his co-star Kevin Durant has not indicated that he will do the same as of right now. It is quite possible that the Brooklyn Nets will try to retool their roster using a Kyrie Irving trade and find a way to keep a contender around Kevin Durant. This trade would be a move that would allow them to do so.
DeMar DeRozan is the key draw for the Brooklyn Nets here, and the Chicago Bulls star has been having an outstanding season. As of right now, the star is averaging 26.0 PPG, 4.8 RPG, and 5.0 APG, and this is clearly one of the best seasons he’s had in his career. He has shown that he is a No. 1 option that can bring a team to the playoffs, but he is clearly not a superstar that can win a championship as the primary offensive focal point. Perhaps pairing him with Kevin Durant and making him the No. 2 option is the best way for him to find success. Moving for DeMar DeRozan could keep the Brooklyn Nets as championship contenders in this scenario.
The Brooklyn Nets would also get some solid role players from the Bulls in this trade scenario, which include Coby White and Andre Drummond. White seems like he could be a solid scorer off the bench, while Andre Drummond is a great backup big that is capable of rebounding at a high level.
The 2027 first-round pick that the Brooklyn Nets would receive from the Lakers could potentially be rerouted in another deal. Attaching the pick to Ben Simmons’ contract could end up getting them another difference-making player that can help them win a championship.
This deal is one of the only possible deals that keeps the Brooklyn Nets in contention for a championship as of right now. They’d get an All-NBA caliber star along with some solid pieces from the bench, all for Kyrie Irving’s expiring contract. From a value standpoint, this proposal is hard to beat.
The Chicago Bulls Receive A Huge Expiring Contract And High-Value Draft Compensation
The Chicago Bulls are clearly a team that is in no man’s land right now, as they are 10th in the Eastern Conference with a 24-27 record. It is quite possible that they will end up missing the playoffs, and perhaps now is the time for them to move some of their stars so that they can enter a rebuilding process.
Moving DeMar DeRozan makes sense in this scenario, as Zach LaVine is a younger star that the Bulls can build around. They would be getting a key pick for DeRozan in this scenario, which could potentially be moved further down the line to land a different star to pair with Zach LaVine.
Trading for Russell Westbrook’s expiring contract means that the team will be able to clear a lot of cap space in time for 2023 free agency. Letting the deals of Russell Westbrook and Nikola Vucevic expire this season will clear around $69 million worth of cap space, which is more than enough to sign a max player. Some potential upcoming free agents include James Harden, Fred VanVleet, and Jerami Grant.
In this scenario, the Chicago Bulls would be receiving a lot of cap space and a lottery pick in exchange for moving their veteran star with some role players. This current era of Chicago Bulls basketball has been defined by them being solid but not championship-level, and perhaps signing a top-tier player this summer can give them a more competitive look next year.
This Deal Could End Up Being A Win For Everyone
There is no doubt that this deal could end up being a winning trade for everyone involved. Both the Los Angeles Lakers and the Brooklyn Nets would be championship-level teams with the additions of Kyrie Irving and DeMar DeRozan, respectively, which would make this deal worth it for them.
For the Chicago Bulls, this is about getting some financial flexibility and trying to give the team a different look so that they get closer to winning a championship in the future. They can sign a top-tier free agent if they let some contracts expire and retool around that star and Zach LaVine since they have future picks and young players to move going forward.
It remains to be seen if the three-team deal framework in this article ends up happening, as those deals are notoriously hard to execute. However, this is certainly a good move for all parties, and we’ll see what ends up happening in the future.
We sincerely appreciate and respect you as a reader of our site. It would help us a lot if you follow us on Google News because of the latest update.
Thanks for following us. We really appreciate your support.
