Which of Kyrie's 4 reported teams of interest is the best fit?
If Kyrie Irving has his way, the superstar point guard's tenure with the Cleveland Cavaliers may be coming to an ugly end.
The former No. 1 pick and career Cav reportedly told his front office that he no longer wishes to play alongside living legend LeBron James, and requested a trade.
While Irving's contract doesn't contain a no-trade clause, he reportedly gave the Cavaliers' brass a shortlist of preferred trade destinations. That list includes the New York Knicks, San Antonio Spurs, Miami Heat, and Minnesota Timberwolves.
Here's how Irving would jell with each of those teams:
New York Knicks
The Knicks are looking to build around young big man Kristaps Porzingis. They have an embattled star scorer of their own in Carmelo Anthony - a close associate to James, no less - whose $26.2-million salary is a logical starting point for matching part of Irving's $18.9-million cap hit.
As it stands, the Knicks are set to usher in the post-Phil Jackson era with a point guard platoon of 18-year-old rookie Frank Ntilikina and sophomore Ron Baker - a duo that's unlikely to inspire confidence in the Big Apple's basketball-rabid fans. There's an obvious opening for a marquee superstar in the backcourt, and it's probably not $71-million man Tim Hardaway Jr.
With Porzingis able to spread the floor from the frontcourt, there would be plenty of lanes for Irving to slash, Eurostep, and soar into the paint for his spectacular finishes at the hoop. Growing up in nearby New Jersey only adds to the strong case for him heading to New York.
Possible trade: Irving, PG Kay Felder, and C Edy Tavares for Anthony and draft picks
San Antonio Spurs
Sending Irving to the Western Conference means the Cavs only have to see him twice a year.
In conjunction with Cleveland's trade exceptions, Irving's salary matches up with that of disgruntled power forward LaMarcus Aldridge, who, at 32 years old, is on a downward trajectory. Bringing Irving into the fold would allow the Spurs to part with promising second-year guard Dejounte Murray, who's the best trade sweetener San Antonio has to offer anyway. With 35-year-old Tony Parker recovering from a quad injury to start the season, now may be time to cement his successor.
Playing alongside Kawhi Leonard puts Irving back in the shadow of a superstar, but one far more reticent than James. If he's looking for individual accolades and a brighter spotlight, the Spurs' team-oriented ethos is probably not for him, but if anyone can integrate Irving's superlative skills into an offense, it's Gregg Popovich.
Possible trade: Irving for Aldridge, Murray, and draft picks
Miami Heat
The Heat had a relatively quiet summer, missing out on Gordon Hayward, re-upping veterans Dion Waiters and James Johnson, and signing Kelly Olynyk away from Boston. Snatching up Irving is the sort of splash team president Pat Riley has grown accustomed to.
None of those mid-level contracts signed this summer are eligible to be traded until Dec. 14 - and if an Irving trade is imminent, the Heat can't afford to wait seven weeks into the 2017-18 season to make their move. That leaves only one realistic option for a two-team trade: Moving PG Goran Dragic to Cleveland.
How Irving would mesh with franchise center Hassan Whiteside is a legitimate concern. Unlike Porzingis, Whiteside is more of a traditional interior-oriented big man with little range on his shot. Irving would also once again find himself paired with Waiters, who lasted two-and-a-half seasons playing with Irving before being shipped out of town.
Possible trade: Irving for Dragic, SF Justise Winslow, and draft picks
Minnesota Timberwolves
The Timberwolves inked Jeff Teague to a three-year, $57-million contract, and he can't be moved until Dec. 14. Irving is well conditioned to being an off-ball scorer from playing beside a ball-dominant point forward in James, so a Teague-Irving starting backcourt isn't impossible to imagine, though the fit isn't great.
From the Cavs' perspective, bringing back former No. 1 pick Andrew Wiggins after including him in the Kevin Love trade would be a major get, but moving a relatively affordable young player with incredible physical tools should be a non-starter for the T-Wolves. The Cavs would have to be willing to swallow mid-level contracts that don't make much sense for the team given their current direction.
That means committing to a small-ball core unit: Teague, Irving, Wiggins, Jimmy Butler, and Karl-Anthony Towns. Defensive-minded coach and team president Tom Thibodeau will likely give his roster as currently constructed a chance to grow together, without sacrificing its identity to acquire Irving.
Possible trade: Irving and SG Iman Shumpert for Gorgui Dieng, Cole Aldrich, Adreian Payne, and draft picks
(Photos courtesy: Action Images)