3 Most Likely Trade Destinations for Kyrie Irving at NBA Deadline

The NBA trade deadline is less than a week away and the presence of a play-in tournament has caused the number of sellers to decrease. There hadn't been a ton of big names floated out there as a result, but that is no longer the case as Kyrie Irving requested to be moved on Friday.

It may seem like a shock given the Brooklyn Nets are fourth in the East with a 31-20 record, but it's important to remember that Irving requested a sign-and-trade before the season started. He eventually opted into the final year of his current deal and is averaging 27.1 points, 5.3 assists and 5.1 rebounds per game.

With that being said, here's a look at three of the most likely deadline destinations for the former NBA Finals champ.

Kyrie Irving Trade Destinations

1. Los Angeles Lakers

The most obvious landing spot for Irving is in LA, where he could reunite with former teammate LeBron James on the Lakers. Reports claim the seven-time All-Star tried to get to LA last summer, but talks between the Lakers and Nets never resulted in a deal. Irving would create a big three in LA that consists of himself, James and Anthony Davis. At full health, that's an amazing trio with a chance to win in any matchup. Keep in mind the Lakers have the draft capital and veteran depth to make a return worthwhile for Brooklyn, too. A deal that includes Russell Westbrook and a few first-round picks in exchange for Irving would likely get an agreement from both sides.

2. Dallas Mavericks

The Mavericks are another team that has been linked to Irving in the past as owner Mark Cuban continues to search for an elite player to pair with Luka Doncic. The current supporting cast is doing enough to keep Dallas in the running for home-court advantage, but not enough to make them a true contender in the West. Irving would give the Mavericks a huge boost along the perimeter given that he has drained 39.1% of his shots from beyond the arc in his career. The 30-year-old also has experience handling the ball on offense, which expands the playbook for head coach Rick Carlisle. Including a former Brooklyn player in Spencer Dinwiddie along with a plethora of first-round picks is likely what is needed here.

3. Minnesota Timberwolves

This one is likely a long shot considering the Timberwolves parted with four future first-round draft picks in their deal for Rudy Gobert prior to the 2022-23 season. If anything, the move proved general manager Tim Connelly is not afraid to make a blockbuster trade, though. A starting five that includes Gobert, Karl-Anthony Towns, Anthony Edwards and Kyrie Irving when at full health would be scary to face in the playoffs. The Nets could be forced to settle for a player with an expiring contract like D'Angelo Russell and a bunch of pick swaps if deals with other interested teams fall apart.

Larry Rupp is not a FanDuel employee. In addition to providing DFS gameplay advice, Larry Rupp also participates in DFS contests on FanDuel using his personal account, username phillyfan424. While the strategies and player selections recommended in his articles are his personal views, he may deploy different strategies and player selections when entering contests with his personal account. The views expressed in their articles are the author's alone and do not necessarily reflect the views of FanDuel.