What’s new? We have more Kyrie Irving drama.
The Nets point guard requested a trade Friday and the NBA rumor mill is churning.
Thankfully for sports bettors, oddmakers have already pounced on the news with speculation on his next destination, with some of the league’s most popular franchises toward the top of the board.
With less than a week to go until the NBA trade deadline, let’s take a look at potential landing spots for Irving and the odds on his next destination, courtesy of PointsBet Sportsbook.
Kyrie Irving next team odds
(If he returns to Brooklyn, all bets are voided)
| Los Angeles Lakers (+125) |
| Miami Heat (+75) |
| Dallas Mavericks (+375) |
| Los Angeles Clippers (+400) |
| Phoenix Suns (+600) |
| Chicago Bulls (+700) |
| Atlanta Hawks (+1000) |
| Utah Jazz (+1000) |
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The favorites
Los Angeles Lakers (+125)
What a turn of events this would be. The Lakers have been looking to upgrade their sub-par roster behind LeBron James and Anthony Davis since last offseason, and Irving’s shot creation and shooting from the guard position would fit perfectly next to that front court pairing.
Los Angeles — which is currently out of both the playoff and play-in picture in the Western Conference — would immediately launch into the NBA Finals contender conversation.
But what would the Nets get back? Well, the conversation would almost certainly have to start with Russell Westbrook and his massive contract. Lakers general manager Rob Pelinka will haggle over whether he needs to give up one or two future first-round picks, but it’s likely the Nets will require both of their trade-able first rounders for Irving.
That doesn’t sound like a ton for an All-Star-caliber player, but if Irving makes it clear L.A. is where he wants to go, they might not get anything better.
ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski has reported that the Lakers are expected to explore a trade for Irving before the deadline and know that they took a long look at a James-Irving reunion last season. Could they form the NBA’s next big three with Davis?
Miami Heat (+275)
The Heat are always looking to make a big move. Remember, Pat Riley was the one to kick off the “Big Three” era during the 2010 free agency frenzy that brought James and Chris Bosh to Miami to team up with Dwyane Wade. We are only a few years removed from the shocking Jimmy Butler sign-and-trade from the 76ers, too.
Teaming Irving up with Butler and Bam Adebayo would make the Heat one of the top contenders in the Eastern Conference, right up there with the Boston Celtics and Milwaukee Bucks.
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A trade for Irving may require the Heat to part ways with Tyler Herro, who is still just 23 years old and enjoying the best year of his career.
Miami’s famous “Heat Culture” may also be able to keep the embattled Irving in check. At the same time, the Heat may not want to mess with what they have going with a wild card like Irving. The notoriously tight-lipped Heat haven’t made it in the rumor mill yet, but history suggests they’ve already poked around.
Dallas Mavericks (+375)
Like the Heat, the Mavericks are also known to go big-game hunting, although they’ve been a bit less successful.
Since the day Luka Doncic was drafted, Dallas has been searching for the right co-star to pair with him. They tried Kristaps Porzingis, but eventually dealt him to the Washington Wizards. Now, Irving has emerged as a possible robin to Doncic’s Batman.
The Mavericks had their name in the discourse right after the trade request with Wojnarowski and NBA insider Marc Stein reporting that they’d consider acquiring Irving.
Dallas has several role players on mid-tier contracts — Christian Wood, Dorian Finney-Smith and Tim Hardaway Jr., among others — that make it easy to match salaries, but Brooklyn will likely look for better talent or younger assets to pair with Durant.
Right now, the Mavericks are on the fringes of the championship contender list. With Irving, they could come out of the crowded West.