The Toronto Raptors have been at the center of the basketball universe this summer, largely because of the blockbuster trade with the Los Angeles Clippers featuring Kawhi Leonard, though the trade has yet to become official because of the NBA’s ongoing investigation.Â
Toronto snagged a proven talent in Leonard and demonstrated it is fully transitioning into win-now mode. If trading for a 35-year-old aging star says something, it’s that the Raptors might be open to doubling down and adding another luminary of the 2010s.
A Trade Idea That Lands Kyrie Irving in Toronto
GettyDALLAS, TX -DECEMBER 25 : Kyrie Irving #11 of the Dallas Mavericks handles the ball against the Minnesota Timberwolves defends at American Airlines Center on December 25, 2024 in Dallas, Texas. (Photo by Ron Jenkins/Getty Images)
In this hypothetical three-team trade, the Raptors would acquire Kyrie Irving, while the Los Angeles Lakers land P.J. Washington and the Dallas Mavericks receive a package centered around Immanuel Quickley.
Raptors receive:
- Kyrie Irving
Lakers receive:
- P.J. Washington
Mavericks receive:
- Immanuel Quickley
- Jarred Vanderbilt
- Dalton Knecht
At least for now, this remains more fantasy than reality, even though all players in this hypothetical trade have been heavily discussed in trade rumors this summer.
NBA insider Jake Fischer reported earlier this month that Dallas is not looking to move Irving. The franchise views him as an ideal mentor for rising sophomore sensation Cooper Flag. However, Fischer also noted the Mavs could become more willing to explore trades for their veteran players as the season progresses.
Dallasâ most recent roster move might have foreshadowed the next direction the franchise will take. On Sunday, the Mavs acquired former No. 1 overall pick Zaccharie Risacher from the Atlanta Hawks in a deal that also included the Oklahoma City Thunder. Will the Mavs aim to continue getting younger?
Flagg is already viewed as the franchise cornerstone. If the Mavs eventually decide their long-term future is built around those two and a number of other young potential future stars, turning a 34-year-old Irving into additional young rotation pieces is at least a conversation worth having.
Kyrie Would Give Raptors Something They (Arugably) Still Lack
If the Raptors officially land Leonard, the two-time NBA champion and two-time Finals MVP, theyâll have assembled one of the best cores in the league.
Ascending 24-year-old star Scottie Barnes continues to emerge as one of the leagueâs unique two-way players. Torontoâs young stars, Jamal Shead and Collin Murray-Boyles, are already pivotal pieces in the rotation after both players flashed their enormous potential in the Raptorsâ grueling first round series defeat to the Cleveland Cavaliers last spring.Â
Leonard, assuming the trade is eventually approved, is coming off a season in which he registered the highest scoring average of his career. Of his career. Clearly, Leonardâs production still resembles a No. 1 option, and clearly the Raptors see it that way, too.
What Toronto arguably still lacks is a dependable backcourt playmaker. Irving, despite entering his mid-30s with a notable injury history, is still one of the top performers in the league.
The last season Irving, a nine-time All-Star, was on the court, he averaged a hair under 25 points per game and registered a 40% 3-point percentage. Less than a month before incurring a torn ACL, Irving scored 42 points and cashed seven of his 10 3-pointers in a win over the Golden State Warriors.
Long-story-short: heâs very much, as Gen Z likes to say, him.
A lineup featuring Irving, RJ Barrett, Leonard, Barnes and Jakob Poeltl would give Toronto one of the Eastern Conference’s most talented starting fives.
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