The Kyrie Irving saga continues.
The Nets have reportedly given him permission to seek out trade scenarios and the latest rumors indicate that the point guard would prefer to play with the Lakers.
Los Angeles would likely have to make a deal via sign-and-trade given their salary cap constraints, though the Nets reportedly are uninterested in the kind of package that the Lakers could easily make (which would be a Russell Westbrook-centered deal).
Woj on SportsCenter says the Laker offer in a sign-and-trade is centered on Russell Westbrook and the Nets are not interested.
— NetsDaily (@NetsDaily) June 27, 2022
There have been conflicting reports on what Kevin Durant would prefer if the Nets moved on from Irving. If Durant were to force a trade away from Brooklyn, several teams would look to get themselves in better position to make a deal. The Heat are among those clubs, according to Anthony Chiang of the Miami Herald. As for Irving, Miami isn’t quite as excited about the point guard.
But the Heat has far more interest in acquiring Durant than Irving, according to a source close to the situation…
Any potential interest the Heat has in acquiring Irving, 30, will depend on what his price is on the trade market or in free agency. The belief is the Heat is not currently willing to give up its top assets to acquire Irving — a list that obviously includes Bam Adebayo and Jimmy Butler, and also Tyler Herro.
Free agency is scheduled to begin on Thursday at 6 pm EST.
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More NBA Trade Rumors
- Dejounte Murray appears to be on his way to the Hawks in a trade package that sends Danilo Gallinari and draft picks to the Spurs, according to Zach Klein of ABC’s Atlanta affiliate WSN-CH2. There had been some rumblings that John Collins would end up in San Antonio, though apparently, that is not the case. The Cavaliers and Wizards were among the teams that had explored trading for Murray leading up to the draft, per ESPN’s Zach Lowe. Stay tuned to FortyEightMinutes for the latest on his developing situation.
- The Rockets fielded calls for the No. 17 pick on draft night and if Tari Eason had not been available, the franchise might have been more willing to move the selection, Kelly Iko of The Athletic writes in a piece that also touches on Houston staying pat at the No. 3 spot. The team ultimately selected Jabari Smith Jr., who unexpectedly fell to them, with their top-3 selection. In addition to Smith and Eason, the Rockets also grabbed another SEC player in Tyty Washington. “You talk to everybody about everything, but we always felt comfortable picking where we were picking and were really excited.” GM Rafael Stone explained.
- In the same piece, Iko notes that the Rockets continue to value Eric Gordon very highly and aren’t desperate to move him. The Sixers were among the teams aiming to trade for Gordon leading up to the draft.
- While the Wizards have some level of interest in Collin Sexton, the franchise is likely to target a more traditional point guard option in free agency, Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com reports. Washington has been linked to Tyus Jones among other options at the position.
