Kyrie Irving trade rumors: 5 teams that should make an offer to Cavaliers
2. Phoenix Suns
The Phoenix Suns are one of the few sensical trade destinations that can offer the Cavaliers both established talent to continue competing with LeBron AND youth/future draft picks to make sure the cupboard isn’t bare if the King leaves next summer.
The question is, as #TheTimeline takes shape in the Valley of the Sun, would Phoenix be able to get away with an offer like Eric Bledsoe, T.J. Warren and a future first round pick for Kyrie Irving?
On the one hand, Phoenix is hardly in a position to be turning down elite talent if it has a chance to add it — especially since Irving is still only 25 years old and finding a long-term franchise point guard is this rebuild’s most pressing need.
Opposing teams would be hard-pressed to stop Irving and Devin Booker in the same backcourt, and that young core could grow together over the next few years, giving Kyrie his chance to fulfill his desire of taking on a larger role.
The Suns don’t have to trade Eric Bledsoe, but it’d probably be a good idea to cash in on his value now, given his age (27), injury history and the fact that he’s coming off a healthy season in which he averaged 21.1 points, 6.3 assists and 4.8 rebounds per game.
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T.J. Warren is a talented scorer and improving wing defender at only 23 years old, and his numbers should’ve been better than they were in a season that was derailed by a mysterious head injury. Throw in a first-rounder and that kind of package keeps Cleveland in the title hunt while also providing the Cavs with Warren and another young player to aid the potential rebuild post-LeBron.
However, a Kyrie-Booker backcourt would not be able to stop anyone, and even with Josh Jackson there to take T.J. Warren’s place, Phoenix might prefer to continue hoarding its assets until it can make a different move for a franchise point guard, either in the draft or on the trade block.
Irving is a perfect fit age-wise, but not necessarily basketball-wise with shots needing to be shared between him and Booker. The Suns need to address their defense for the future, and Irving isn’t the guy to do that with.
From Cleveland’s perspective, this might not be enough established talent or enough youth to satisfy the front office, no matter which way it intends to go in a potential Kyrie Irving trade. LeBron has always been a fan of Bledsoe’s game, but even with the defensive upgrade he’d provide over Kyrie, would Bled and Warren be enough to keep the King in Cleveland after one year?
The answer is probably not, since Bledsoe and Warren don’t move the needle that much closer to the Dubs. If that’s the case, the Cavaliers would probably start asking for names like Josh Jackson, Dragan Bender, Marquese Chriss or even Devin Booker in addition to draft picks…at which point the Suns might be better off practicing their newfound patience and hanging up.