The Kyrie Irving trade request saga rages on as the offseason heads into a dead period of the NBA calendar. Usually, the start of August doesn’t have trade rumors swirling around but Irving and Carmelo Anthony are both in the middle of rampant speculation and intrigue.
While it is relatively clear where Carmelo Anthony wants to land, given he has a no-trade clause and can essentially pick where he wants to go, the Kyrie Irving situation is a little more tricky. A previous report stated that at least 20 teams contacted the Cleveland Cavaliers about an Irving deal with only a handful making serious offers. One of those teams who reportedly made a call was the Detroit Pistons.
Following comes from Vincent Ellis of the Detroit Free Press.
A person with knowledge of the Pistons’ front office told the Free Press recently that the organization is interested in the four-time NBA All-Star, who nailed the winning shot to clinch the 2016 NBA title for the Cavs.
As Ellis writes in his piece, Pistons president of Basketball Operations and head coach Stan Van Gundy did indeed acknowledge that the team inquired about Irving. Keith Langlois of Pistons.com confirmed Detroit, like many teams, contacted the Cavs about Kyrie.
Stan Van Gundy told me last week that, yes, the Pistons have had some level of conversation with the Cavs, but that’s hardly news. Just as Van Gundy said that all 29 teams engaged Indiana when it became common knowledge that Paul George was on the trade market, so it should be expected that every team will throw a hook in the water to see if it gets a bite.
One team that quite possibly has been connected to a Kyrie Irving trade more than any other franchise is the Phoenix Suns. There were reports of negotiations centered around Josh Jackson including a LeBron James inquiry of the young wingman, but nothing has materialized. The Suns are keeping both Jackson and Devin Booker out of trades but they might be willing to get rid of their starting point guard Eric Bledsoe and pair him with fellow Klutch Sports client, LeBron James, in Cleveland.
According to Darren Wolfson of ESPN, the Suns have an offer in mind for Cleveland.
The Phoenix Suns are the team to watch on Kyrie Irving. Now, they won’t offer Josh Jackson plus that Miami 2018 first and Eric Bledsoe. I’m told they’ll do Bledsoe. They’ll do the pick. Plus, Dragan Bender.
We all patiently wait for the resolution to the latest star trade drama.
