Rumor: NBA reporter believes that Kyrie Irving could be traded to the Los Angeles Clippers
In the 2019 off-season, the Los Angeles Clippers made a massive splash and signed Kawhi Leonard while trading for Paul George. At the start of the 2019-20 season, the Clippers were viewed as contenders and were chosen by most as the favourites to win the championship that season. The reason why the Clippers had so many expectations was to do Leonard’s historic championship run with the Toronto Raptors.
Leonard was arguably the best player in the NBA during the 2019 off-season. His dominance in the playoffs was historical. From his iconic game-winner against the Philadelphia 76ers to silencing the “Bucks in six” chants, Toronto was able to win their first championship because of the dominance of Kawhi Leonard. Unfortunately during the 2020 playoffs, Kawhi, George and the rest of the organization played abysmally and managed to blow a 3-1 lead against a young and inexperienced Denver Nuggets team in the second-round of the playoffs. Since their disappointing 2020 playoff run, the Clippers went from being a contender for the championship to now a playoff threat. The reputation of the Clippers has gone down adn with Kawhi Leonard being out for potentially the entire 2021-22 season, the future of the Clippers organization is not looking good.
While the Clippers season is looking like a first-round exit in the playoffs, they have a chance to change their projections. According to Bleacher Report’s Greg Swartz, he believes that the Clippers have what it takes to successfully trade for Kyrie Irving. The proposed trade included Eric Bledsoe, Luke Kennard, Keon Johnson, a 2028 first-round pick and second-round picks from 2022-2025. While that is a decent haul for Irving, some may argue that this offer is not enough to attain the former champion.
Typically when trading for a superstar in the NBA, an All-Star, solid role players and a haul of draft picks are usually what it takes to successfully complete a trade. When it comes to this trade offer, it is lacklustre as it does not have a lot to offer. However, the reason why this trade lacks a lot of assets is due to the trade value of Kyrie Irving. Currently, teams are skeptical of trading for Irving as he is injury-prone, does not have the vaccine and always has off-court antics. These factors are huge especially when a team not only provides a max-contract for that player, but also invests their future in them.
When it comes to this trade, the Clippers gain a significant advantage of adding a third All-Star to their roster. The trio of Kawhi Leonard, Kyrie Irving and Paul Goerge would steamroll through the NBA and would be the favorites in winning the championship if the trio is healthy. With the Nets also looking to compete for a championship, this trade makes little to no sense as they are essentially giving the Clippers an advantage for role players that are inconsistent and in Luke Kennard’s case, overpaid.
Concluding thoughts
The idea of Irving joining the Clippers is intriguing as it provides the Clippers a player that will never disappoint in the playoffs. It is a known fact that Irving is one of the clutchest players in the NBA while being a top performer in the playoffs when he wants to be. While his time in Brooklyn may be over, the Clippers is unfortunately an unlikely destination for Irving unless they are willing to trade away Paul George.