It's been well discussed that the Minnesota Timberwolves will explore trade possibilities to give Anthony Edwards a better co-star. Frankly, this is needed to move closer to the Oklahoma City Thunder and San Antonio Spurs. Minnesota's interest in Giannis Antetokounmpo has been well-documented.Â
Outside of Giannis, though, fans have been hopeful about the possibility of a Kyrie Irving trade. There's no denying that an Ant-Kyrie backcourt is tantalizing, and that he is a realistic trade target. Recently, Jon Krawczynski appeared on The Ryen Russillo Show, where he mentioned that the Wolves will look to pursue Kyrie.
"I think they're (the Timberwolves) going to look at Giannis Antetokounmpo, they're going to look at Kyrie Irving, they're going to look at other big possible deals out there to try and close that gap," Krawczynski said.Â
The top Wolves insider noting the team's interest in Kyrie should be music to fans' ears, as it adds real validity to a possibility fans have been hopeful about since last week's playoff exit.
Kyrie Irving is an ideal trade target for the Timberwolves
Listen trading for Giannis or even a guy like Kawhi Leonard sounds great, but the Wolves will be hindered by their lack of draft capital and high-end trade assets.
Kyrie is a clear notch below these players; he is also coming off an ACL injury and is 34 years old. As such, he is a far more realistic trade target who could still be a game-changer for the Wolves.Â
With the Dallas Mavericks having a new front office, it's unclear if they'll look to trade Kyrie. While the Mavs front office has spoken highly of him, as they gear up to build around Cooper Flagg, I don't think anyone would be shocked if Kyrie is traded.Â
And despite the aforementioned concerns about Kyrie, he'd undeniably be a perfect backcourt partner for Ant.Â
Irving is an elite ball handler, dynamic playmaker, prolific three-level scorer, and he excels playing off the ball. All of these traits are exactly what you'd want from a backcourt mate next to Edwards. Without a doubt, an extra ball handler and perimeter creator alongside Ant has been the Wolves' most discussed need for the past few years.
Kyrie adapting to playing alongside Luka Doncic en route to a 2024 finals run is perhaps what gives me the most confidence in him fitting seamlessly with Ant.
Frankly, Kyrie is well worth the risk, and trading for him is a far more realistic possibility than other rumored stars.Â
Now, it's worth wondering if the Mavs would be interested in Julius Randle. He doesn't seem like an ideal fit alongside Flagg. However, Masai Ujiri has an affinity for versatile forwards. A three-team deal with Randle or Rudy Gobert heading elsewhere and more young talent/picks ending up with the Mavs could satisfy their needs.Â
The point is that a Kyrie-Wolves trade is far from a pipe dream, especially after Krawczynski's comments. When it's all said and done, Kyrie could prove to be the perfect needle-moving acquisition for Minnesota.
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