5 reasons the Phoenix Suns should avoid a Kyrie Irving trade

The Phoenix Suns are better suited to trade for Kyrie Irving than anyone, but here’s why they shouldn’t make a move for the Cleveland Cavaliers star.

Last week, ESPN‘s Brian Windhorst reported that star point guard Kyrie Irving was unhappy with the Cleveland Cavaliers and had met with the front office to request a trade. Ever since, the NBA world has been abuzz brainstorming potential landing spots for the four-time All-Star.

In the course of this frenzy of NBA Trade Machine activity, one consistent theme has emerged: In a tricky situation, there aren’t many teams in the league better suited to trade for the disgruntled Uncle Drew than the Phoenix Suns.

With Kyrie being an elite scorer at only 25 years old, the Cavs are right to hold out for a kingly ransom — and one that makes the King himself happy, since whispers of LeBron James leaving The Land next summer have grown to a dull roar.

With rumors about LeBron leaving for Los Angeles swirling and now Kyrie wanting out, the Cavs might be better blowing it up, choosing to ship Irving away for a collection of young players and draft picks to jumpstart the next rebuild.

Unfortunately, such a move would waste LeBron’s last year in Cleveland and almost ensure he leaves for greener pastures next summer. However, an all-in move for established talent isn’t realistic after so many teams just finish addressing their point guard position in free agency, and it’d be a shortsighted approach that left the Cavs empty-handed if they lost in the Finals again and watched the King permanently abdicate his throne.

Related Story: 5 teams that should make a trade offer for Kyrie Irving

At this point, the best option for the Cavaliers is a trade offer that can address the point guard position, add depth to the wing, keep Cleveland in the title hunt, make LeBron as happy as possible and still brace for the future beyond 2018 with young talent or future draft picks.

More from NBA Rumors

• NBA Rumors: OKC, Spurs, and Raptors viewed as landing spots for a MVP
• NBA Rumors: 3 teams emerge as most-likely Giannis destinations
• Report: Miami Heat hoping to keep key player out of Lillard trade talks
• NBA Rumors: Heat have big plans to upgrade frontcourt if they land Lillard
• SuperSonics aside, these are the 5 best Seattle expansion team names

In other words, this sounds like the exact scenario the Suns and general manager Ryan McDonough have been waiting for, especially as a team that can offer all of those things in a potential deal.

Irving is not only young enough to fit in with Phoenix’s rebuild, but he also has championship experience, addresses a future position of need and just averaged a career-high 25.2 points, 5.8 assists and 3.2 rebounds per game on superb .473/.401/.905 shooting splits.

However, just because they seem like an ideal trade pairing doesn’t mean the trigger should be pulled just yet, even for an undeniable star and elite shot-maker. Here’s a look at five reasons why the Phoenix Suns should avoid a trade for Kyrie Irving.

5. Suns don’t need to trade Eric Bledsoe

In another, more competitive era of Suns basketball, Eric Bledsoe would be appreciated more than he currently is. Coming off another career-best season in which he averaged 21.1 points, 6.3 assists and 4.8 rebounds per game and was perfectly healthy for the second time in the last three years, his status as Phoenix’s best player is undeniable.

However, given his history of knee problems and his age (he’ll turn 28 in December), the best time for the Suns to trade Bledsoe would be now. He doesn’t fit #TheTimeline, his trade value will never be higher than it currently is, and after years of faithfully toiling away for bottomfeeder Suns teams, a trade to a team like the Cleveland Cavaliers — to play with a fellow member of Klutch Sports, his friend LeBron James — would reward his loyalty with the chance to contend for a title.

In nearly every trade rumor involving the Suns over the last few months, Bledsoe’s name has come up. He’s their best trade chip if the young cornerstones remain off limits and in a Kyrie Irving trade package, his contract and skill-set represent the first building block.

That doesn’t mean the Suns have to trade Bledsoe, though.

Bled clearly fits the criteria of a top-20 point guard, and he only missed one game before the front office shut him down for the final 15 of the season in a blatant tank job. Though he wasn’t terribly efficient this year with .434/.335/.847 shooting splits, he’s the best available point guard the Cavs could reasonably expect in a Kyrie swap.

More from Hoops Habit

• 7 Players the Miami Heat might replace Herro with by the trade deadline
• Meet Cooper Flagg: The best American prospect since LeBron James
• Are the Miami Heat laying the groundwork for their next super team?
• Sophomore Jump: 5 second-year NBA players bound to breakout
• NBA Trades: The Lakers bolster their frontcourt in this deal with the Pacers

That being said, as much as it would benefit #TheTimeline for the Suns to trade Bledsoe for Kyrie Irving or move him in another deal for a new franchise point guard, they don’t have to do so.

Bledsoe and Devin Booker developed a strong rapport down the stretch last season, and though Tyler Ulis impressed during his limited time as a starter, he probably tops off as a high-end backup. Kyrie would be a tremendous get for the Suns’ rebuild, but it’s worth noting that Bledsoe is still the better fit for this team.

Irving won’t turn 26 until next March, so he clearly fits with #TheTimeline, but even that two-year age gap shouldn’t overshadow how similarly injury-prone Kyrie is, how underwhelming he is defensively or how trading Bledsoe only makes sense for a long-term fixture at the point guard spot. As we’ll cover soon, Kyrie Irving might not be that player.

4. Josh Jackson would need to be included

Bledsoe is the starting point for any Kyrie Irving trade (and pretty much any other trade for a star), but Josh Jackson is the make-or-break point.

According to Joe Vardon of Cleveland.com, a Kyrie Irving trade would already be done if the Suns had been willing to offer a package of Bledsoe, Jackson and Phoenix’s 2018 first round draft pick coming from the Miami Heat (top-seven protected).

However, as Arizona Sports 98.7‘s John Gambadoro reports, Jackson remains off limits in any Irving trade. ESPN‘s Ramona Shelburne added that the Suns have reassured their new No. 4 overall pick of this as well.

On paper, the Suns seem like a perfect trade partner for Kyrie Irving, or any available star for that matter. They have the collection of established talent (Bledsoe), desirable young players (Jackson, T.J. Warren, Dragan Bender, Marquese Chriss, Tyler Ulis), draft picks and even veteran salary cap filler (Tyson Chandler, Jared Dudley) usually required to pull off a blockbuster swap.

But even though ESPN‘s Adrian Wojnarowski reports the Suns are one the teams that has made an offer for Kyrie already, the Cavaliers are seeking a blue-chipper in any deal, per ESPN‘s Zach Lowe.

Even for the contingent of Suns fans that’s still high on Dragan Bender, the only players on Phoenix’s roster that fit that description are Devin Booker (obviously off limits) and Josh Jackson, who the front office was ecstatic to select when he slid to No. 4.

No offense to T.J. Warren and how much fun it is picturing him with the Cavaliers, but the Suns probably aren’t going to get away with substituting him in for Jackson here.

It’s a stretch to say the Suns should hold off on trading for one of the best point guards in the league who hasn’t reached his prime because they want to keep an unproven 20-year-old, but Jackson is the defensive presence and potential franchise pillar Phoenix needs alongside Booker on the wing.

To that end, the Suns would be right to say no to any Kyrie Irving deal involving Josh Jackson, just as the Cavaliers are wise to continue asking for him. If the Suns were going to move their No. 4 pick, Kristaps Porzingis was the play on draft night, not Kyrie Irving two months later.

With Aug. 4 approaching, the Suns will soon be able to legally trade Jackson. Only time will tell if owner Robert Sarver can remain patient and if this front office will stand by its word as it tries to repair its league-wide image when it comes to player relations.

3. A Kyrie Irving-Devin Booker backcourt would be a process offensively, a nightmare defensively

When he gets going, Kyrie Irving is one of the most unstoppable offensive weapons in the NBA — a description that will soon apply to Devin Booker as well (if it doesn’t already). Pairing the two of them in the same backcourt would be an absolute nightmare for opposing defenses.

However, there’s no guarantee the two would develop the immediate chemistry needed to convince Kyrie that Phoenix could be his long-term home. Dumbing it down to “they’re both iso-heavy players!” is a bit much, but the two do need the ball in their hands to operate.

Irving has never been much of a facilitator, and though he’d automatically be the designated bucket-getter and best three-point shooter on the roster, his shot-happy tendencies would probably rub his young teammates the wrong way — especially Booker, whose development might be impeded by a shoot-first point guard without the distributing skills of his All-Star counterparts.

Booker has shown flashes of great court vision and promising passing ability, but he’s not a primary playmaker, nor should he be. To properly complement his emerging skill-set as a go-to scorer and spot-up shooter, the Suns would ideally find a point guard with a very different skill-set from Kyrie.

However, even in the best-case scenario where Booker and Kyrie learn to play off each other and develop their own version of “your turn, my turn” that Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook mastered at times in Oklahoma City, the Suns’ backcourt would still give up as many points as it racks up.

Booker is still only 20 years old, so there’s still hope for him on the defensive end. At 6’6″, he’s got the length and the size to be a decent defender, especially with his beyond-his-years knowledge of how things work on the offensive end.

In defense of Kyrie, he’s at least passable in the postseason when it matters most, even if his effort throughout the regular season is nowhere near mediocre. Unfortunately, pairing the two together would be the makings of an outright defensive disaster.

Even if Booker and Kyrie combined for 50-55 points a night, their glaring defensive flaws would limit the ceiling of this star tandem, especially if a defensive helper like Josh Jackson were also shipped away in the deal.

Even with a potential designated stopper like Jackson though, that kind of backcourt pairing might only top off as a more offensively potent version of Damian Lillard and C.J. McCollum — two entertaining, high-scoring guards who may never find sustainable playoff success due to their nonexistent defense.

If it’s true that Kyrie Irving wants to be Batman and stop being LeBron’s Robin, he’s coming to Phoenix to hoist shots — something he already did in Cleveland at an alarming rate. He’s not coming to play defense or sacrifice like he’s had to alongside King James.

If he’s no longer playing second fiddle to anyone, that not only sends the wrong message to a potential franchise pillar like Devin Booker, but it could even alienate him if he’s not getting enough touches or if Kyrie’s shot-happy ways hinder his All-Star trajectory.

Is the potential stunting of Booker’s offensive growth worth it for a player who has yet to prove he can lead a team? The Ringer‘s Jonathan Tjarks might answer that question best:

"“The Cavs were minus-120 in 635 minutes with Kyrie on and LeBron off last season, and nearly half of those minutes (312) came with Kevin Love. Tyronn Lue could hardly afford to take LeBron off the floor in the playoffs: Their net rating plummeted from plus-13.6 with him to minus-13.8 without him. The Cavs had three All-Stars, yet were as close to a one-man team as they could be. “Kyrie ranked 40th in assist percentage and 71st in defensive RPM among NBA point guards, and if he couldn’t be bothered to play defense or share the ball when he was contending for a title, what is he going to do on a team that will struggle to crack .500?”"

Couple all of this with the unavoidable defensive shortcomings and suddenly the star-studded Kyrie-Booker backcourt doesn’t seem as glamorous as it looks on paper.

2. No guarantee he stays long-term

Let’s say a change of scenery is really what Kyrie Irving needs. Let’s say getting out from under LeBron’s shadow was the issue all along, and that with the responsibility of being Phoenix’s new franchise savior, he embraces a more encouraging brand of leadership, a commitment to defense and a willingness to sacrifice shots for his teammates.

Even if Josh Jackson is still in Phoenix in this idyllic and entirely unrealistic scenario, it overlooks another central problem: Kyrie Irving has a $21.3 million player option for the 2019-20 season. Even with the market stabilizing and teams avoiding gaudy contracts this summer, Irving’s value extends far beyond that amount, and he’d be sure to opt out for a new payday in 2019.

At that point, the risk of Kyrie being a two-year rental becomes very real — especially after Terry Pluto of The Plain Dealer reported he would not commit long-term to whatever team traded for him.

Sure, the Suns are a team on the rise. Sure, they’d be able to offer Irving the chance to be the face of a franchise alongside a bunch of young teammates that might contend for titles down the road. But could they convince him of this team’s bright future in just two years, especially with most of their cornerstones being projects still?

There’d be a lot of losing in the meantime, even in the scenario where Booker and Irving learn to play together on offense and Jackson and Bender learn to cover for their defensive flaws.

Kyrie may want to get out of LeBron’s shadow, but the Suns weren’t on his list of preferred trade destinations and a jump to a Western Conference bottom-feeder probably isn’t his preference. There’s no guarantee Phoenix would even make the playoffs in the loaded West before Irving inevitably hits free agency two years from now.

To that end, even in the best-case scenario where Kyrie Irving leads by example and the Suns get to keep Jackson, is it worth it to sacrifice other young players as part of a burgeoning core for a possible two-year rental?

1. Suns better off participating as third party

If the Suns could pull off something like Bledsoe, T.J. Warren and that 2018 Miami draft pick for Kyrie Irving, the trade might be worth it. Including Tyson Chandler or Jared Dudley and taking on Iman Shumpert‘s contract would also be perfectly acceptable within that framework.

But seeing as how Jackson is the current asking price, and because Kyrie Irving is such a tricky fit with this particular core, the Suns might be better off only participating in a trade with Cleveland as a third party.

In that kind of scenario, looping in the New York Knicks — a team whose interest in Kyrie has been reciprocated — might be the way to go.

A simple solution, and one that would bring in a potential franchise point guard for #TheTimeline, would be sending Kyrie to New York, Bledsoe and Warren to Cleveland and Joakim Noah‘s albatross of a contract to Phoenix along with rookie Frank Ntilikina.

Ntilikina is a combo guard, so he may not even be a true point guard, but he’s also only 18 years old and projects to be a stout defender, making him a terrific potential fit alongside Booker even if he’s not destined for stardom.

Why trade for Kyrie Irving in a move that accelerates the rebuild when the Golden State Warriors aren’t going away anytime soon?

Noah’s contract is one of the worst in the NBA, but with Alex Len‘s situation being up in the air and the Suns likely to consider trading Tyson Chandler, he’d be a terrific locker room influence.

For a team like the Suns that doesn’t really need cap space over the next few years while the youngsters develop, taking on his contract is a more than acceptable price if they deem Ntilikina to be a worthwhile investment.

Since the Knicks want to move Carmelo Anthony, and since Melo and LeBron are buddies, we can get even crazier, with Ntilikina and a 2018 first-rounder coming to Phoenix from New York:

In this hypothetical deal, the Suns get a former fan favorite, locker room mentor and stretch-5 in Channing Frye, a couple of nice young bigs in Willy Hernangomez and Mindaugas Kuzminskas, plus Ntilikina and a first-rounder to add to their pile of future franchise pillars.

The Cavs get Bledsoe, Melo and Warren to keep the Cavs in the title hunt and hopefully convince LeBron to stay in free agency next summer, while the Knicks get a sure thing in their franchise point guard with Kyrie, and defensive-minded veterans in Chandler and Shumpert.

Next: Phoenix Suns - 5 takeaways from NBA Summer League

Even if Ntilikina isn’t the most enticing rookie point guard from this year’s draft class, giving him a shot might be a more suitable option to capitalize on Bledsoe’s trade value, and it’d be a preferable alternative to a Kyrie Irving deal given what it’d take to pry him away from Cleveland.