Kyrie Irving demanded a trade in what was arguably the NBA’s biggest news story this past week. The point guard’s most preferred destination is San Antonio, though he reportedly would be happy with being dealt to the Heat, Wolves or Knicks if it’s not the Spurs.
Irving didn’t name the Sixers as a preferred landing spot, but Moke Hamilton of Basketball Insiders argues that a trade to Philadelphia makes the most sense. Hamilton believes the Cavs must operate as though LeBron James will leave once he’s able to in the summer of 2018, meaning they should not trade for veteran players. Instead, the team should look to rebuild and target young players and assets.
The scribe contends that Irving could come to Philly and become the team’s No. 1 option, something that’s important to the 25-year-old. Hamilton believes a package of Markelle Fultz, Jahlil Okafor, and a couple future first-rounders would be a good haul for Cleveland.
Tell us what you think about an Irving-to-Philly trade. Do you believe a package centered around Fultz would be enough to entice the Cavs or should they go with a different offer from the Sixers or another team. Let us know your thoughts in the comment section below. We look forward to what you have to say!
If kyrie leaves I’ll be so sad. It’s a horrible decision
hahahahaha
wasn’t that funny
that’s a good idea. explore every option
i think dan gilbert would do that. a great start for when lebron leaves next season.
Futlz, Oakfar plus suns as a 3rd team and cavs get eric bledsoe for sixers 2019 and 2020 first rounder
VAST OVERPAY for Bledsoe. Bledsoe should come with a pick from the Suns. They have been shopping him since they got him.
As Z-A pointed out, a huge overpay for Bledsoe. Plus you can’t trade your own first round pick in back to back years. Also, why would the Cavs want Bledsoe when they’ll have Fultz? And why would the Sixers give up 2 first rounders to Phoenix just so Bledsoe can go to Cleveland when Fultz, Okafor, plus picks sounds good for Kyrie?
Bledsoe at SG and fultz at PG who knows fultz may be a bust and they will have a good replacement
I mean it could work since Bledsoe has the defensive ability to play at the 2, but I just don’t see why Philly would want to ship out two picks to Phoenix. There would have to be another moving part for it to make sense, whether that be Phoenix taking on a bad contract or sending another pick/player to Philly.
Teams aren’t allowed to trade back-to-back first rounders. That’s too much for Irving, anyway. Same trade without Fultz (although it makes little sense for the Sixers to have Fultz and Irving) or same trade without the picks.
Just to be clear, you’re saying 4 #1 picks plus Okafor for Irving. You get that’s ridiculous, right?
I’m a long time, die-hard 6ers fan idk how to feel about this so ima say #TrustTheProcess
Lol
I’d at least consider that if a few picks were added
My bad, wrong thread
sixers ain’t that stupid to be giving up this much players for irving
Okafor is out of place in Philly and Kyrie is a clear upgrade (right now and likely in the future) over Fultz who is completely unproven at the NBA level. How is that too much?
If the bulls couldn’t have gotten the number 1 pick from the Celtics (would be fultz if bulls were picking) then there’s no way kyrie could get that. Jimmy is a more complete player
Kyrie is way more valuable than Butler.
I disagree with that just because Jimmy is a two way player able to do a variety of things on offense and defense while kyrie can score and provide little to no defense and isn’t a great pure point guard
I disagree as well.star caliber,theyre similar.but Butler has put up his numbers with an aging Dewayne Wade being the best player around him.Butlers done what he’s done as a #1 option…Irvings done what hes done with 1 of the best players to ever play,and a second all star in Love.
Ill give ya that Chicago was barely a playoff team with Butler,but what was Cleveland before Lebron returned.top 10 lottery team.
There is a big difference. It is not the Celtics making this trade. Perhaps the Sixers would accept, or even would have accepted in the Celtics place. Trades do not have to be universally accepted in order to happen. It just take two GMs to agree.
^ Exactly this. The Celtics might not have been willing to give up the #1 pick, but if Chicago called up post-trade and asked for the #3 pick for Butler, the Celtics might’ve been willing to make that move. Also, you have to consider fit. Kyrie would probably fit nicely next to Simmons/Embiid and considering he’s a proven player, Philly might be willing to part with Fultz. Granted there’s the risk that Kyrie could leave when his contract is up, Philly could still offer him the focal point of the offense role that Kyrie is looking for. Competing for championships is obviously not a short-term goal for Kyrie if the Knicks are on his list of preferred trade destinations, so there’s no reason to believe that he wouldn’t mind playing in Philly in the long term.
Just a reminder that Kyrie has another two years.
How is that too much? This trade is 4 #1 picks and Okafor for Irving. See?
What makes you think Irving is worth that much?
What,that hes proven to be a good Robin!!
1 of those 1st rd picks was the #1 overall pick is a draft considered a good 1.
I wouldnt trade Fultz for him straight up.Fultz could be just as good,and has a 4 year rookie deal.Irving is getting paid already,and will probably opt out after year 2,and then cost 30+ mil in year 3 & 4 if he stays.thats like a $60mil difference,and hes not 60mil more better.
Its actually even questionable if he’s even robin, with Kevin Love in Cleveland.
Well, first of all Cleveland has zero leverage to ask for that kind of deal. That ship pretty much sailed when Kyrie said I don’t want to play with the best player in the league.
Second of all, Fultz is the #1 overall pick in what is considered the deepest draft in recent memory. Sixers have also already made a significant in Fultz by trading up for him. Now you want him+Okafor+2 more 1st’s for Kyrie who is no guarantee to re-sign 2 years down the road? Nah.
Third, why trade for Kyrie now when you can make a pitch for Lebron in FA next season? If LeBron is serious about his legacy, the Sixers should be on a short list of teams he will consider signing with. Lebron, Embiid, Simmons, Fultz, Saric? That’s a core at least on paper that should be able to run through the east 2 years down the line.
Cleveland is about to be in a dark place again.
Lebron and most rosters can run through the East 2 years down the line and the odds he will be in in Cleveland are greater than the odds he will be in Philly (or even LAL).
And Irving did well this past year even though he really wanted to leave after the title year. It just took the past year for him to be certain about his feelings. He’s not tanking and will return value.
So about that dark place.
Agree 100%. Not trading fultz and 2 more picks essentially 3 number 1 picks for 2 years of Irving. I am standing pat with what the sixers have now.
The Sixers are building for the future and Kyrie is going to stick around for two-years… I say keep Fultz and keep building. There’s no championship runs in these next two seasons.
There’s no guarantee Kyrie leaves his next team if Cleveland trades him. As far as we know, Kyrie wants to be the focal point and the face of the franchise for another team. If Kyrie wanted to compete for championships (like Paul George claims he wants to), then he wouldn’t ask to be traded out of Cleveland (as they give him the best shot at winning outside of Golden State and maybe San Antonio). So obviously, Kyrie’s main goal in making a trade demand isn’t to compete for championships in the short term. If it was, he wouldn’t have listed the Knicks or the Timberwolves (and I’d even throw the Heat in that group) as his preferred trade destinations. So there’s no reason to believe that if he got traded to Philly, that he wouldn’t consider staying long term with them (assuming he gets the role he wants) unless he explicitly states that he wouldn’t resign long-term with them.
Idk why people are saying he doesn’t want to win. What he wants is to get as far away from James as possible.
76ers don’t need Kyrie
yes they doooooooo!!!!
Irving can not win by himself with sixers
Not like Steph Curry
When has Steph won by himself?
What in the world are you smoking
I’m smoking on pink starburst and it’s great
i agree..sixer arent competing for a championship this year.let your young studs grow together and keep ur picks..dump okafor anyway
Yeah if they got Kyrie, they might actually win games. That would ruin The Process.
I would do Fultz, Okafor and the Lakers pick 6-30. Maybe a protected 1st. Will 100% not take any other salary.
My reservation is that Kyrie isn’t a winner when LBJ is not playing even with Love. It’s a top-20 to top-15 player. We don’t know what Fultz is yet. He does give me D Wade vibes but has to play 1st.
Z-A. Hard to argue with the numbers but I’d suggest to you that the cavaliers are built around James, not Kyrie. If the Cavs were built around Kyrie, you’d see different numbers. Or put this way. Kyrie is an Olympic champ and diva MVP for team USA.
Kyrie won’t be “the man” with the Sixers. We have Joel and Ben.
Kyrie is the only non injured guy on the team if the get him.
Ben Simmons wouldn’t be “the man” anyway. I wouldn’t even call him “the man” on the Sixers now. I’ll give you Embiid since he’s was dominant when he played, but Simmons is really just a good playmaker. Besides the fact that he hasn’t played a single NBA game yet, his currently known offensive skillset (i.e. he doesn’t take outside shots) doesn’t make him “the man” in Philly.
Isn’t the lakers pick now owned by the celtics?
If it falls between 2 and 5 in the lottery. If it is number 1 or 6-30 the sixers keep it and give them the kings pick.
The sixers should stay put with what they have now and try to get LeBron next summer. I don’t want Kyrie Ungrateful a** here.
If he were to come, that would be contingent on Embiid dominating, Simmons and Fultz balling out. Could happen. But need new doctors.
Can they just build a hospital into the arena? Lol
Bledsoe is better than Kyrie in a good team
Lol for the win.
Hmm I’m sure Kyrie’s championship ring would disagree.
If you read these boards at all, you know that Corleone is in love, love, LOVE with Bledsoe. I, on the other hand, watch him play every game and don’t feel the same as Corleone.
yet he trades him daily
And Abdel Nader is better than Isiah Thomas…
Simmons Saric McConnell for Kyrie?
Sixers pass
Fultz, McConnell, Okafor.
Simmons McConnel Okafor.
But is Fultz and Kyrie a realistic backcourt? I’m not sure I see the fit. Value wise either would likely work.
don’t trade fultz for kyrie. Fultz way more controllable for sixers
The trade that would make the most sense for all teams if they were looking to compete again this year is a 3 way trade by the Suns, Cavs, and Knicks, in which the Cavs get Carmelo and Bledsoe, Knicks get Tyson Chandler and Kyrie, and Suns get Kevin Love and the Knicks first round top 10 pick this year, Frank Ntilikina.
That is terrible value for Kyrie and Love. Terrible. If they unloaded JR and Shumpert at the same time then maybe. But that’s a complete backwards step for the Cavs. They’d need more to even entertain that.
The Cavs wouldn’t trade Love for Melo straight up, I highly doubt that Eric Bledsoe’s inclusion suddenly makes Cleveland willing to give up Love AND Kyrie. Also, the Suns come out like bandits in that trade considering they give up the two least valuable assets in that trade. A lottery pick and a top 10 PF for an aging center and a top 15-20 point guard, both of whom are getting paid more than they should. I would love some of what you’re smoking.
For Cleveland this makes sense. Not because it’s a good value for Love and Irving, but because it might be the most they can get for them now that they are forced to trade Irving. At least they get a PG and a forward to replace them, although this does force Lebron into a lot of 4. And, although they would improve defensively at PG, they would be an epically bad defensive team at every other potion. Worse than this year because Melo is even worse defensively than Love.
Decent deal for the Knicks. Upgrade at PG. Chandler’s salary doesn’t make a ton of sense for them, but he makes less than Melo. And since the Knicks really can’t afford to be awful, this helps them with that.
Phoenix gets a good player in Love (though I think they’d try to flip him at the deadline if they could and he does interfere with Chriss and Bender’s development) and a possibly decent PG, and gets out of Chandler’s and Bledsoe’s contracts
Kemba and Monk for Kyrie and JR.
There’s no way Charlotte would accept the marginal offensive upgrade and defensive downgrade that is Kyrue for Kemba. Even so, the salaries are nowhere near matched.
That’s what the trade machine is for big guy
This would be doable under the cap if Charlotte really wanted to. They could add O’Bryant and Webber, which wouldn’t be a huge sacrifice, and it works under the cap.
I tend to agree that Kyrie isn’t enough of an upgrade for this to make sense for a team with a decent PG (and I’m not a big Walker fan).
Bad idea. Kyrie is a shoot-first PG. Sixers have too much talented youth to develop. Kyrie is a great great individual talent that doesn’t elevate his teammates. Stay away. He’d work on the Clips with a running big like Blake. Maybe on Miami to take pressure of Whiteside. Knicks should also keep their distance. But they’re the Knicks so they may actually chase.
Completely disagree with your assessment on Kyrie. Evidently you don’t pay attention to team USA’s starting PG. he wasn’t a score first pg.
I think the main concern here shouldn’t be Kyrie being a score first PG. Rather that he played a ton of isolation basketball these past two years. And he is great at using it to get to the rim, and an absolute world class finisher. But Simmons will need the ball in his hand to be effective, especially in the beginning if his shot isn’t there. If Kyrie wants off the only team that could beat the Warriors in the playoffs, it doesn’t seem like he’d be happy playing off ball to another SF/PF. Also Embiid, when healthy, is the best player on the team even if Kyrie is there.
I think that would actually be a good trade for both teams. Sets the Cavs up for the future with young talent and when Lebron leaves they’ll also have money to spend and the 6ers get a really good established PG who’s a vet and is clutch to go with those young guys.
Agree but LeBron would be ticked. He likes old people not young athletic people.
Kyrie is overrated and overrated
I wouldn’t give Fultz straight up for Kyrie. Kyrie is good but as a young team I would rather find out what Fultz turns in to.
Agree sixers should
Stand pat with what you have
Good young team
Don’t need any outspoken ball hogs
Lol so many haters. Outspoken ball hog is completely false.
This is a tough call. If Irving was signed for more than 3 years, it would be easier. In my opinion, Irving is the most electrifying scorer in the game. With Simmons and Embiid, the Sixers would be ready to compete.
Kyrie is that dude…u can trade anyone on the 6ers team and upgrade with him….
What would the clippers have to do to get kyrie? No a clippers fan but kyrie, griffin and deandre would be entertaining to say the least.
Clips probably don’t have enough assets, and definitely not enough cap space, after the Gallinari signing. But since we’re talking hypothetically, it’d probably have to be Beverley, Gallinari (or Jordan), and future first round picks just to get the Cavs interested. If the Cavs were able to throw in another contract (JR or Thompson) and got back both of Gallinari and Jordan I could see Cleveland maybe be more willing as Jordan’s deal would allow the Cavs to get out of some of their future financial obligations if/when LeBron leaves and they need to rebuild the following year. I didn’t include Shumpert in the above because he only has two years left on his deal, like Jordan, and would help Cleveland to reset one year after if/when LeBron leaves as opposed to being stuck with JR Smith’s or Thompson’s contract for another two years if/when LeBron leaves.
I think the Clippers make a ton of sense and there are some reasonable deals. I assume this has to happen before the season starts, so Gallinari is off the table. This is the deal I’d suggest and it may be the best Cleveland can do:
Clippers trade: Jordan, Beverly, Juwan Evans, Wesley Johnson (needed for cap reasons), plus either 1 or 2 #1 picks (probably 2 because the post-trade Clippers are a good team)
Cavs trade: Irving, Tristan Thompson
Clippers get a replacement for Paul who fits with Griffin and at least something to replace Jordan at center.
Cleveland gets out from under Thompson’s contract, a better C, and sort of PG, a guy who can at least fill a few minutes at PG and the chance to draft their post-Lebron bench. Jordan is only under contract for one year after Lebron leaves, so they aren’t stuck paying Jordan for long when he’s not of any value to them anymore. They still can’t beat the Warriors (Jordan has to sit on the bench in those games), but at least they get value back for Irving and stay competitive this year.
Why would the Sixers trade essentially 8 years of reasonably priced Fultz for two years of Irving? I’m a Wizards fan so I don’t have a dog in this fight but seems like a bad trade for Philly as a 1-1 let alone to throw in future firsts too.
Plus Simmons and Irving would not end well if Irving already hates playing with Bron.
8 years? Fultz is technically only locked in for 5 years (guaranteed 2 years, plus 2 team option years, and he could take a qualifying offer instead of a contract extension for Year 5 if he wanted to get out of Philly asap).
yeah, but when has anybody taken the QO?
fultz looks like a future all star thats way less expensive than irving atm…the sixers have a few years to grow yet with their young stars why not let them all develope together…id sit pat if i were the sixers.
This would be idiotic for the Sixers. Irving’s got 2 years and wouldn’t want to be there. No way are the Sixers that close to anything.
There aren’t that many teams that fit. Don’t see the Twolves, having just signed their PG. Spurs would fit great but don’t have the pieces. Knicks have the Spurs problem (no pieces) AND the Sixers problem (not close enough).
One team that hasn’t been mentioned but works is the Nuggets. Jamal Murray and Kenneth Faried plus picks (they have all of their own picks still).
Jeff Teague isn’t a reason not to trade for a phenomenal scorer like Irving.
“Fultz looks like a future All-Star.” Please stop. Fultz hasn’t played a single NBA game yet and played 49 minutes in the Summer League. I hope he plays really well and is an All-Star someday (and he might become one only because the Eastern Conference is completely barren of All-Star talent) but lets see the guy (and this goes for other rookies as well) play some games against proven NBA players before we start crowning them All-Star players.
Any player that “looks like a future all star” is suddenly better than an all star. A MVP all star at that with a ring and Olympic Gold. There’s a huge difference between is and looks good with absolutely no experience. Remember Anthony Bennett looked good to someone as well.
If they didn’t give 23 M to Reddick and 11M to Johnson I’d be more interested in this, bc they could still have money to sign someone else. But no one is left.
I’d say from a Cleveland perspective–you do this deal in a heartbeat because you have to assume that Lebron is leaving. Gilbert screwed up letting Griffin go…for Philly you accelerate the rebuilding process and you are a playoff team IMO. If you are Cleveland I’d take a shot with Fultz–Okafer I’m not so big on. The picks are invaluable.
Fultz will probably make Lebron stay.
Lebron’s history says otherwise. This is the same guy that wanted Andrew Wiggins traded for Kevin Love before he ever played a game for the Cavs and he had a LOT more hype coming in than Fultz.
Wiggins also didn’t fit next to LeBron. Coming out of college, Wiggins was a wing player was a raw but very promising player with no outside shot. He also was not going to be ready to help compete for championships as a rookie (and I’d even say for his first two years) meaning the Cavs would’ve been a two man show between Kyrie and LeBron. Fultz, on the other hand, should fit next to LeBron. Although I’ll agree that his inclusion in a trade for Kyrie wouldn’t make LeBron a lock to stay in Cleveland if only because Fultz likely wouldn’t help Cleveland compete for a championship for at least two years (this year and next).
Obviously you don’t have a Cleveland perspective. It is foolish to assume James will go. The Cavs will be going for a title with vets; this has already been established with the moves they have made so far. If James leaves, the Cavs will lose for a while and build up high picks– like Philly.
Amen
Okafor to the cavs for a ham sandwich?
I wouldn’t trust the ham I got for Okafor.
no reason for the Sixers to do this. They could just wait next year if the players stay healthy be a attractive destination for Lebron James. Kyrie would leave in 2 years.
LeBron is NOT going to play with a bunch of ankle biters.
Why in the hell would the Sixers put together a package like this???
This can’t be serious. Fultz and Okafor are both unproven and Okafor had his chance to be. He’s just a backup who can’t back up Love defensively. Middling draft picks are for if James leaves, not for a grown-up team already on a high level gunning for another title run.
Although Simmons is James-approved so that could happen.
Milwaukee and Indiana can offer the most IMO, but they are in-division and for that reason, the Indiana GM has already turned down a better deal for PGeorge than what he got.
From the getgo it is foolish to break down the team on an assumption James will leave. He’s already done his young-man move.
No
Hey, it’s what I want!!!
However, the Sixers can get it done!!!
(Plus, if it helps both teams), that is what trades are supposed to do!
This would never happen! Sixers gave up a lot to move up from 3 to 1 to get “their man” Why would you blow it up now by trading Fultz and another guy such as Simmons or Dario? I’m a Sixers fan and hate to tell you dreamers Okafor is worthless to a team, especially the Cavs and their style of play. Already have Love and want to move him.
If your the Sixers you stay put to see what this team has for a full season and then you go out and sign what you need in free agency and you also have future first round picks in your pocket.
To mortgage a lot to get kyrie who couldn’t beat Golden State with LeBron, what makes you think he can do it with the Sixers? Not to mention he wants to dominate the ball. Golden State proved it takes a team to win Championships!
This was a stupid question. Go through all this just to blow it up for a wanna be Westbrook.
“Golden State proved it takes a team to win Championships”
–well, in theory this is why he’d go to the Sixers. The Cavs have Lebron, Kyrie, Love and nothing else. The Sixers have a lot more than that.
Also, it’s pretty clear at this point that Irving isn’t leaving becuase Lebron is on the team, but rather than he wants to leave because he has way more leverage now than he will a year from now after Lebron leaves and he’ll desperately need to get out. It’s not that he hates playing with Lebron
It is a crazy question…Philly is not on Kyrie’s list. Why would Philly force that and have a bigger malcontent? And then all these other posts throwing out wild trades?
Idiots. Damn fools.
I rather will choose Simmons. We already know Bron love him. His height and youth will be great for the team and also if Lebron goes away is a good asset for the future.
No thanks….Fultz could be just as good and will cost around half of what Irving would over the next years,if Irving even stuck around that long.
4 years*
If sixers get kyrie lebron not Coming next year so an emphatic no