Getty Damian Lillard guards Kyrie Irving
Phoenix Suns starting point guard Chris Paul is not expected to suit up for a pivotal Game 3 in their second-round matchup with the Denver Nuggets after suffering a hamstring injury. It adds to a long list of injuries that have held him out of the postseason. In 2021 he suffered a shoulder injury that impacted his ability to shoot the ball. That same year, he also had a COVID scare that held him out for several games. In 2018 he suffered a hamstring injury that sidelined him. And the list goes on.
With the Suns being under new ownership and now having a bonafide star in Kevin Durant, it could be worth examining making a shakeup at the point guard spot. Arizona Sports’ John Gambadoro says a sign and trade for All-Star point guard Kyrie Irving could be on the table for the Suns.
“I would not rule out a Kyrie Irving for Deandre Ayton trade in the offseason,” said Gambadoro via Sports Illustrated.
“I’m telling you; I think that there’s a possibility. KD [Durant] loves Kyrie. I don’t think the Luka, Kyrie thing worked out … There’s only like three teams with cap space, so it’s gonna have to be a sign and trade.”
Lakers Also Expected to Pursue Kyrie Irving
Kyrie, who is in the final year of a 4-year, $136 million deal, will be an unrestricted free agent this summer, allowing him to go to any team of his choosing. As one of the most skilled players in the NBA, he will be arguably the top free agent on the market in 2023 and should have plenty of suitors lining up for the opportunity to ink him to a long-term deal. One Western Conference executive told Heavy Sports in September that the Los Angeles Lakers will be among the teams that pursue the Mavericks star.
“No matter what [the Lakers] do with trades or however they reconstruct this year, they are going to keep an eye on next summer. That is where they have a lot invested, being able to get another star-type player next summer,” the executive said to Heavy Sports.
“They’re going to look at Kyrie Irving, of course, but he is probably not their top choice. They will look at Jerami Grant, who they liked for a long time, same with Myles Turner. I think Andrew Wiggins would be a big prize there because he can play two-ways.”
Monty Williams Sounds off Ahead of Game 3
The Suns are preparing for a pivotal Game 3 against the Denver Nuggets, already trailing 0-2 in the series. Phoenix got contributions from Booker and Durant in the loss, who combined for 59 of the teams’ 87 points in Game 2 but did not get much help elsewhere. With their season on the line in Game 3, Suns head coach Monty Williams says that figuring out the right lineups will continue to be a feeling-out process.
“It’s always a challenge just based on our team makeup when you have four guys like we have that take up a lot of your minutes,” Williams said after the loss in Game 2 via Jump View’s YouTube page.
“We’re always looking at the different combinations with two of those guys always on the floor. And those kinds of things are discussions we have on a daily basis. We’ll try to figure that out as we go along.”