Shams: Kyrie Traded to Mavs (Dinwiddie, DFS, #1)

[GreenlyGreeny]

This is the part I’m worried about: Kyrie means it and him and KD are trying to rig things with Ballmer or LeBron to get a big 3 of Klaw/KD/Kyrie or LeBron/KD/Kyrie. The former might be bad but I’d rather see that, so we know LeBron’s never winning another title as a Laker. Then again, it would be funny to see Kyrie cause the Lakers to implode from within (it’s what he does best, right?). Heck, maybe if he went to the Clips he could disgust Klaw so much that he demands out in the off-season, making my dream of an expiring JB for Klaw come true…

If you’re the Nets, would you rather have AD/Westbrook/two firsts from the Lakers, or PG-13/Powell/Morris/two firsts from the Clips?

[ozgod]

LOLOLOLOLOLOLOL

Can't wait for Kyrie to get booed in Brooklyn so Boston fans aren't seen as the only petty ones.

He did us a favor by leaving. I hope Celtics fans can move on soon.

Yup, Cryrie is like the toxic ex-girlfriend/boyfriend that someone took off our hands. We didn't like it at the time but it was the best thing that happened to us.

[celticsclay]

This is the part I’m worried about: Kyrie means it and him and KD are trying to rig things with Ballmer or LeBron to get a big 3 of Klaw/KD/Kyrie or LeBron/KD/Kyrie. The former might be bad but I’d rather see that, so we know LeBron’s never winning another title as a Laker. Then again, it would be funny to see Kyrie cause the Lakers to implode from within (it’s what he does best, right?). Heck, maybe if he went to the Clips he could disgust Klaw so much that he demands out in the off-season, making my dream of an expiring JB for Klaw come true…

If you’re the Nets, would you rather have AD/Westbrook/two firsts from the Lakers, or PG-13/Powell/Morris/two firsts from the Clips?

On the rare occasion he plays leonard isn’t the player he used to be. You gotta be the last guy in here fascinated with him.

[GreenlyGreeny]

This is the part I’m worried about: Kyrie means it and him and KD are trying to rig things with Ballmer or LeBron to get a big 3 of Klaw/KD/Kyrie or LeBron/KD/Kyrie. The former might be bad but I’d rather see that, so we know LeBron’s never winning another title as a Laker. Then again, it would be funny to see Kyrie cause the Lakers to implode from within (it’s what he does best, right?). Heck, maybe if he went to the Clips he could disgust Klaw so much that he demands out in the off-season, making my dream of an expiring JB for Klaw come true…

If you’re the Nets, would you rather have AD/Westbrook/two firsts from the Lakers, or PG-13/Powell/Morris/two firsts from the Clips?

On the rare occasion he plays leonard isn’t the player he used to be. You gotta be the last guy in here fascinated with him.

Do not want to hijack this great beatdown of Cryie, but if you want my thoughts on the legend known as The Klaw:

https://forum.celticsstrong.com/index.php?topic=107627.msg3118850#new

[ozgod]

This is the part I’m worried about: Kyrie means it and him and KD are trying to rig things with Ballmer or LeBron to get a big 3 of Klaw/KD/Kyrie or LeBron/KD/Kyrie. The former might be bad but I’d rather see that, so we know LeBron’s never winning another title as a Laker. Then again, it would be funny to see Kyrie cause the Lakers to implode from within (it’s what he does best, right?). Heck, maybe if he went to the Clips he could disgust Klaw so much that he demands out in the off-season, making my dream of an expiring JB for Klaw come true…

If you’re the Nets, would you rather have AD/Westbrook/two firsts from the Lakers, or PG-13/Powell/Morris/two firsts from the Clips?

On the rare occasion he plays leonard isn’t the player he used to be. You gotta be the last guy in here fascinated with him.

Go check his game logs since January 1. He’s definitely back. He basically decided to take most of 2021 and almost all of 2022 off to ensure he’s back to 100%. November/December was just him warming up. Mark my words: The Clips will be in the WCF, maybe even the Finals, because of Klaw. Dude’s got a career steals-to-turnovers ratio in excess of 1.0, over twice the average of most all-stars (even MJ only had 0.86). Five steals with zero turnovers the other night in a 30+ point game. The psychology of stealing so much without turning it over is powerful, and it’s one of the many reasons why Kawhi’s teams barely ever lose three in a row. He’s still the best perimeter defensive player since MJ/Glove, and the best clutch shooter since MJ. His BBIQ is easily the highest in the league in this era. He does all of the little things to position his teammates for the greatest probability of success in his endless quest to win like Larry Bird and Bill Russell before him. He just quietly outsmarts everyone and contributes more to wins than any other active player. He even has the best winning percentage in league history, ahead of Magic and Bird in 2nd and 3rd. Legendary and a guy who does not get his due. It’s a question of whether he will end with 4, 5 or 6 rings when it’s all said and done. We would be incredibly lucky to have him paired with JT/Smart/Timelord. We would be a dynasty and Kawhi would cement his status as the second best player of the post-MJ period (I would take prime Kawhi over prime LeBron, too - go watch the 2014 NBA Finals again, Kawhi’s Mona Lisa shutdown of Prime LeBron age 29 when Kawhi was only 22…dude even did the unbelievable of bringing a professional sports title to a Canadian club, the first time in nearly three decades).

No thanks. Don't need someone who takes two years off for every year he is good. Their trajectories are going in different directions too - JB's production has been increasing while Kawhi's has tapered off. And Kawhi has five additional years on his odometer and a major injury as well. No doubt he's a great player and his resume speaks for itself but I know who I would be investing in at this point in their careers.

Also, I think you're adding 1+1 and coming up with 11 when it comes to this supposed LeBum/KD/Cryrie or Kawhi/KD/Cryrie. There's a better chance of Cryrie coming back to Boston than those transactions happening. The Fakers aren't trading AD and the Clippers aren't trading PG13 for Cryrie. Maybe Westbrick for Cryrie, because both aren't worth that much, but those other transactions you suggest really do strain credulity. Pretty sure those GMs don't want to be fired for such terrible decisions 

[SHAQATTACK]

Welcome to Utah Jazz Mr Irving …

Maybe DA will bite again on a good buy ……LOL

[Kernewek]

While it looks like this trade request is as a result of discussions breaking down, I thought this synopsis of Kyrie's tenure with the Nets was pretty succinct:

Irving has played 143 of 277 possible regular-season games for the Nets. He's missed time due to nagging injuries, COVID-19 vaccine stubbornness, and antisemitism, and in three-plus seasons the Nets have won just one single playoff series, only intermittently coming anywhere close to the level of excellence suggested by the pedigree of their top players. What makes this latest development so funny is that before Durant's latest injury, which has cost him most of the past month, for a while the Nets were playing like perhaps the best team in basketball, ripping off 21 wins in 24 games, including 12 straight to close out 2022. And during their present struggles, with Durant on the shelf, Irving has played some of the best basketball of his career. If Irving is still in the fold when Durant returns to action, the Nets have a decent shot at a title! And now this!

You can easily understand how the two sides might be at an impasse, contract-wise. Irving naturally considers himself a max-level player worthy of a deal of any length. Even with all the headaches, he's still a sublimely talented offensive player, but the Nets are naturally wary of committing too much to him considering how tenuous his commitment to the team and basketball has been over the past few years.

https://defector.com/now-kyrie-irving-wants-out-of-brooklyn

[Roy H.]

Reports like this crack me up:

The Nets would be interested in Bam Adebayo, Jimmy Butler, or Tyler Herro coming to Brooklyn in a potential Irving trade. Miami would prefer to move off Kyle Lowry, who’s owed $29.7 million next season. – via Michael Scotto @ HoopsHype

[Donoghus]

I am fascinated by what Kyrie's next deal is going to look like.

[Who]

Reports like this crack me up:

The Nets would be interested in Bam Adebayo, Jimmy Butler, or Tyler Herro coming to Brooklyn in a potential Irving trade. Miami would prefer to move off Kyle Lowry, who’s owed $29.7 million next season. – via Michael Scotto @ HoopsHype

Lowry & Herro for Kyrie would be a good trade for both teams.

[johnnygreen]

Reports like this crack me up:

The Nets would be interested in Bam Adebayo, Jimmy Butler, or Tyler Herro coming to Brooklyn in a potential Irving trade. Miami would prefer to move off Kyle Lowry, who’s owed $29.7 million next season. – via Michael Scotto @ HoopsHype

In related news, I'm interested in winning either Powerball or Mega Millions. I think Kyrie is one of the best offensive players I have ever seen, but he has a discounted trade value due to his off the court behavior/mindset.

[Neurotic Guy]

To test the level of disdain for Kyrie’s team impact, I wonder who here would take Kyrie for nothing?  Or… let’s say the least talented package the Cs could offer.  Or, if you could trade Justin Jackson straight up for Kyrie, would you do it?

[Goldstar88]

Reports like this crack me up:

The Nets would be interested in Bam Adebayo, Jimmy Butler, or Tyler Herro coming to Brooklyn in a potential Irving trade. Miami would prefer to move off Kyle Lowry, who’s owed $29.7 million next season. – via Michael Scotto @ HoopsHype

Lowry & Herro for Kyrie would be a good trade for both teams.

I agree. That might be the best haul Brooklyn can get as well. Herro is a solid #2 option, but Kyrie is a number 1.

[#1P4P]

Reports like this crack me up:

The Nets would be interested in Bam Adebayo, Jimmy Butler, or Tyler Herro coming to Brooklyn in a potential Irving trade. Miami would prefer to move off Kyle Lowry, who’s owed $29.7 million next season. – via Michael Scotto @ HoopsHype

The drama in Brooklyn has overshadowed how poor of a job Sean Marks has done.

Hiring Nash, unnecessarily trading Jarrett Allen with a year left on his rookie deal then missing an interior presence, the pre-deadline Harden fiasco, the Durant trade demand, letting Bruce Brown walk then trading an unprotected 1st for Royce O’Neale, and now this.

Kyrie’s a difficult personality, but the Celtics and Cavs were great at keeping the drama in house and mitigating the pr mess. All the leaks coming out of the Nets shows that Marks runs a poor operation in addition to poor relationships with his players.

With all the drama that’s leaked out of that building, Kyrie’s torpedoed his value. His value is right around Lowry/Westbrook and a couple 1sts. To get a Herro or Russell, they might have to trade Kyrie and a 1st. Or keep him, torpedo another season, and let him walk.

[td450]

To test the level of disdain for Kyrie’s team impact, I wonder who here would take Kyrie for nothing?  Or… let’s say the least talented package the Cs could offer.  Or, if you could trade Justin Jackson straight up for Kyrie, would you do it?

Of course not.

Game theory wise, everyone wants to win a title. Kyrie is a train wreck and the odds are high that he will derail the team he is on over the course of any season. That is what he is doing to the Nets right now. That is what he did to them last year too.

The smaller, but still real possibility is you will catch him on one of his stretches of greatness in between his destructiveness cycles, and squeak out a title by lucky timing. His value is so degraded that you would get access to one of those stretches for a relatively insignificant cost.

This gamble only makes sense if you have a strong but problematic roster and you want to take a puncher's shot. You don't have a strong future, so you want to take a chance, accepting the inevitable longer term consequences.

It is insane for a well constructed contender to touch him, but there are some teams who only have a chance if they try a gamble like this. The thing is, that describes the Nets perfectly. They are doomed long term, and would benefit more by playing him than almost anyone else. They would have an outside shot this year. Once he leaves, its all over for them for a long time, regardless of any trade.