The latest and greatest (ehh, that might be a stretch) NBA trade rumor has linked the Miami Heat to nine-time All-Star point guard Kyrie Irving.
The Dallas Mavericks routinely rejected incoming trade interest for Irving this summer, according to numerous reports, but the rumor mill insists Irving must be moved to another franchise. The guard-needy Heat, with two-time NBA MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo in tow, stands out as, let’s just say, the most exciting landing spot.
There is no denying that a healthy Irving would elevate the Heat, maybe even high enough to reach the NBA mountaintop. But of course, there are always obstacles in the way of a major-market team landing one of the game’s marquee superstars, especially if that team just recently mortgaged a chunk of its assets to acquire one of the best players in the world.
At Least The Miami Heat Has a Path to Landing Kyrie Irving
Here’s one thing that may not be arguable: the most realistic scenario in which the Heat lands Irving is if he, one, requests a trade and, two, asks to be sent to the Heat. Otherwise, Miami, which doesn’t possess a single tradeable first round pick, might get laughed at if it calls Dallas asking to ship Irving over. But according to veteran NBA insider Marc J. Spears, if Irving wanted to be traded somewhere, team president Masai Ujiri, with whom Irving has already established a tight relationship, would likely be all ears.
“Masai also has a really good relationship, as you mentioned, with Kyrie Irving,” Spears said (h/t @Fullcourtpass on X). “I think it’s the kind of relationship where if Kyrie says, ‘Hey, Masai, like, this isn’t for me,’ I think they could work together to get something done. I don’t think it would be something ugly. I think there would be interest in Kyrie if he’s as healthy as he looks.”
Irving, 34, is expected to return to the court next season fully recovered from a torn ACL, and Dallas has repeatedly maintained excitement over the new tandem of Irving and reigning Rookie of the Year Cooper Flagg. As of right now, Irving is a Maverick. But that could change in as little as four or five months.
Irving Expected to Be On the Move Soon
Heavy NBA insider Sean Deveney recently reported that Irving and the Mavs could look to hammer out a trade ahead of next season’s deadline. Longtime NBA journalist Marc Stein revealed that teams around the league are monitoring Irving’s situation in Dallas to see if the Mavs change their tune on trading their star point guard.
“But front offices across the league anticipate that one or both parties could decide it’s in their best interest to part ways, wondering about the long-term fit of the 34-year-old Irving as the Mavs prioritize building around teenage prodigy Cooper Flagg,” ESPN reported in August.
There is plenty fueling a potential Irving exit from Dallas in the coming months, and the Heat, which is angling to make another impactful roster move in the near future, according to insider Barry Jackson, could jump at the opportunity to land Irving ahead of the trade deadline in February.
Miami Heat Get Clear Path to Kyrie Irving Trade After Revealing Insider Message