Kyrie Irving trade rumors: 5 teams that should make an offer to Cavaliers

4. Miami Heat

The Miami Heat enjoyed the best season of Goran Dragic‘s career since his breakout year with the Phoenix Suns, but at some point, they’ll need to face facts: The Dragon is 31 years old already, with at least two years remaining on a large contract that includes a $19.2 million player option in the third year.

Dragic put up 20.3 points, 5.8 assists and 3.8 rebounds on .475/.405/.790 shooting splits, which means the Cavaliers certainly wouldn’t be getting a scrub in return for their franchise point guard.

With one year to prove to LeBron this front office can assemble a legitimate threat to the Warriors, the Cavs would have a hard time finding a better direct replacement for Kyrie on the open market.

Unfortunately, a 31-year-old point guard who’s game will likely decline from here on is not the best return for Cleveland, even with a future first round pick attached. Remember, the Heat owe their 2018 (top-seven protected) and 2021 first-rounders to the Phoenix Suns, so Cleveland wouldn’t be able to cash in on an immediate draft pick to aid a full-scale rebuild.

Dragic would provide Cleveland with a facilitating point guard who could spread the floor to three-point range and also play better defense, but if LeBron wants to leave next summer, keeping a disgruntled Kyrie might wind up being a better option than this rebuild package.

Kyrie would represent a younger, superior point guard on a better contract for the Heat, and this would allow him to join one of his preferred trade destinations, but Dragic was extremely good in Erik Spoelstra’s system last year, so there are worse final outcomes than Cleveland avoiding this kind of swap.