Everyone is talking about the possibility of Kyrie Irving being traded, and the Timberwolves continue to be a potential destination for the four-time All-Star.
Yes, it’s the end of July, but the trade rumors are still swirling.
During what is normally a quiet period on the NBA calendar, the week-old news that Kyrie Irving requested a trade from the Cleveland Cavaliers has provided the rumor mill an unexpected jolt as we inch ever closer to the month of August.
Indeed, there are only so many potential trades that the Timberwolves could fashion in order to land Irving, but you can bet that every single possibility has been hashed and rehashed by the good ol’ internet. I gave my take here a few days ago, and continue to stand by the belief that Irving is unlikely to land with the Wolves before the season begins, but a mid-season trade could be a real possibility.
Mid-week, our friends over at A Wolf Among Wolves traded messages in a roundtable of sorts regarding the likelihood that Irving dons a Timberwolves jersey in the near future, and a few interesting thoughts came out of that conversation.
From Andy G:
"…Thibs is serious about maxing Wig and keeping him around, and Butler and Towns went off script and thought they’d play Big 3 Recruiters behind the scenes. In this case, I think we can assume that no Kyrie trade actually happens (Thibs has been patient in his management of the Minnesota roster and flipping 6 years of Wig for 2 years of Kyrie would be a serious deviation from this trend) and we’re left with dissension in the Wolves new core.Remember, this recruitment of Kyrie implicates not only Wiggins but also Jeff Teague whose sixty million dollar deal was just celebrated alongside Taj Gibson’s about two weeks ago. Of course, Kyrie is better than Teague, but that isn’t my point. I’m assuming Kyrie does not actually become a Timberwolf and the team is left wondering how to feel about itself after a failed covert operation planned and fumbled by its two best players."
The idea that Tom Thibodeau and Scott Layden wouldn’t want to completely pull the plug on what they’ve already built (and especially the whole ‘6 years of Wig for 2 years of Kyrie’ thing) is completely fair. The Irving-Butler-Towns fit is probably a bit more synergistic than Wiggins-Butler-Towns, but is it worth upsetting the apple cart and gambling that both Butler and Irving remain in Minnesota in two years? What if they both decide to leave for another franchise together, and the Wolves are left with only Towns in the fall of 2019?
It’s an ominous thought, of course, but one that must be considered seriously.
Our own folks here at Dunking With Wolves have been hard at work covering the rumor from every possible angle, including Brian Sampson’s look at three realistic trade options between the Wolves and Cavs, plus Brian’s take on the rumor from Friday morning that the Timberwolves have already made an offer for Irving.
Elsewhere, an ESPN Insider piece was published with the “five best and biggest” potential Irving trades. One of the five submitted featured the Wolves. Due to it being an Insider article, we can’t re-post much of it here, but the proposed deal wouldn’t be consummated until December 15th and would involve both Andrew Wiggins and Jeff Teague, with Irving and J.R. Smith coming back to Minnesota.
Such a trade seems feasible, and it’s probably what I’d hold out for if I’m the Wolves. Getting Smith back would at least solve some of the potential depth issues created by moving two starters and only getting one back in other scenarios.
The flip side, however, is the potential impact on some of the intangibles. How does the team respond to a trade of this magnitude just six weeks into the regular season? Can Cleveland hold out that long if the Irving-LeBron James relationship is as toxic as has been reported?
Next: Three Realistic Timberwolves Trades For Kyrie Irving
At the end of the day, the most likely scenario is probably Irving being moved to another team. The relationship with the Cavs could be beyond repair, but if the Wolves refuse to add Wiggins or can’t make a trade work before December 15th, Cleveland may very well take their best non-Wolves offer.