Somehow, someway, the Wolves might go from Ricky Rubio to Jeff Teague to Kyrie Irving at point guard.
According to ESPN, Wolves stars Karl-Anthony Towns and Jimmy Butler have informed head coach Tom Thibodeau and GM Scott Layden that they want the team to trade for Irving.
League sources told ESPN that both Butler and Karl-Anthony Towns have been doing their part to recruit Irving on the idea of playing alongside them in Minnesota, and they’ve made it known to Wolves management that they want to add the Cavs star to the mix. Butler and Irving became tight in their time playing for USA Basketball together. Towns’ father, Karl Towns Sr., and Irving’s father, Drederick Irving, are connected through the basketball scene in northern New Jersey, where they both reside.
But there’s a huge problem. The Wolves can’t trade Teague, whom just signed with the Wolves a few weeks ago, until Dec. 15, according to ESPN. That’s midseason, and bringing in Irving in a deal excluding Teague doesn’t make a whole lot of sense on paper.
ICYMI: Kyrie Irving gave the Cavaliers four of his preferred trade destinations, including New York, Miami, Minnesota and San Antonio. pic.twitter.com/qFtuyw03u9
— Legion Hoops (@LegionHoops) July 21, 2017
Making the Irving to Minnesota thought even more real is the fact that Irving and Butler are great friends. NBA.com’s David Aldridge says the Cavs were close to bringing Butler to Cleveland before the Wolves swiped him on draft night.
Without being able to trade Teague until mid-December, any deal now would almost have to include Andrew Wiggins. Would the Wolves sell on a 22-year-old with Wiggins’ high ceiling for Irving?
But a Wiggins for Irving deal would need more. Specifically, it would require the Wolves to throw more salary to Cleveland to make the deal work. Wiggins and Gorgui Dieng for Irving? The deal would work, according to ESPN’s NBA Trade Machine.
This will probably get very interesting, so check back for updates.
