If Kyrie Irving is to choose, he would like to be traded either to the New York Knicks, the Miami Heat, or the Minnesota Timberwolves, according to league sources. But he doesn’t get to choose. Instead, the Cleveland Cavaliers will make sure they are not on the losing end should they part ways with their 2011 NBA Draft No. 1 overall pick. So which NBA team would that be?

Hard to find trade partner

With most of the teams already in the period of adjustment after the NBA Draft and free agency, Kyrie’s decision to be traded will have a massive impact in the coming days.

At 25, the 6’3” four-time All-Star point guard averaged 25.2 points last season while playing alongside LeBron James.

Surely, there are a couple of teams who would want to acquire the rights and have him play on their roster. So which teams are still willing to undergo another revamp to accommodate Kyrie Irving? More importantly, which team will dig deeper and go even further to get the 2014 NBA All-Star Game MVP?

One-on-one trade

Does a one-on-one trade with the New York Knicks involving Carmelo Anthony seem viable for the Cavs? First, that’s one of the destinations Kyrie would want to go. Second, even at 33, Melo is a consistent scorer, averaging more than 20 points in each and every season he played in the NBA.

Last season, he averaged 22.4 points in 74 games.

If the new Cavs GM would like to please LeBron, he could bring in King James’ banana boat buddy in exchange for Kyrie (or perhaps adding one future draft pick will suffice). Surely Derrick Rose can perform the role of starting point guard (assuming he remains healthy for the entire season).

The problem is – will the three NBA superstars stay in Cleveland beyond 2018?

The same goes if the Cavs deal with the Boston Celtics for Isaiah Thomas, who is expected to get his first big paycheck next year.

Dealing for Washington Wizard’s John Wall could be the perfect trade according to RealGM Trade Checker (Trade ID #6924996). But it’s hard to think the Washington front office will break up their lineup. Plus, the Cavs surely won’t look for another point guard.

Other potential trade scenarios

ESPN’s Zach Lowe gave some possible combination trade scenarios which the Cavaliers might put on the table. One of them involves the Phoenix Suns sending Eric Bledsoe, Jared Dudley, and a future first round pick. And if the Suns really want to lock a two-team deal, they can bring Josh Jackson on the table.

The Miami Heat is also a potential two-team trade partner for the Cavs, except that the list should include Hassan Whiteside.

So they could be Goran Dragic, Wayne Ellington, and Justise Winslow in exchange for Irving and Iman Shumpert.

The same deal goes for the Milwaukee Bucks – if it ain’t Giannis Antetokounmpo, the deal is a go. Lowe suggested the Bucks could offer Khris Middleton, Malcolm Brogdon, and an unprotected first round pick.

Many teams are now piling up their pitches to the Cleveland Cavaliers to get Kyrie Irving. We’ll see how it goes.
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