NBA Trade Rumors: Do the New Orleans Pelicans Have a Shot at Acquiring Kyrie Irving From the Cleveland Cavaliers?
Pelicans rumored to be one of the teams expected to make an offer for Irving
Now that it is known that Kyrie Irving has requested a trade from the Cleveland Cavaliers, rumors are hinting that numerous teams are interested, including the New Orleans Pelicans.
In a recent report from Amico Hoops, the Pelicans as well other teams have already started to come up with offers to send the Cavaliers in the hopes of acquiring Irving.
It should not be that surprising that Irving is drawing this much interest.
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Players as talented as Irving rarely become available, and given that this All-Star guard still has two guaranteed years remaining on his current deal, the bidding for his services figures to escalate.
So with numerous teams expected to enter the Irving Sweepstakes, what are the chances that the Pelicans will actually come out on top?
At this point, those chances are not looking too good.
Compared to other teams, the Pelicans do not have much in the way of future assets and talented young players that they could offer the Cavaliers in exchange for Irving. This means that if they want to get a deal done, they will likely have to include one of the stars they already employ.
ESPN's Zach Lowe pondered what a potential Pelicans' offer for Irving could be like and imagined that it would have to involve center DeMarcus Cousins. There are some issues with that, however, such as Cousins - who has never played a playoff game - suddenly going to a team expected to make a deep run in the postseason. It is also fair to wonder just how well his game would mesh with the rest of the players on the team.
Perhaps the biggest stumbling block in a Cousins for Irving deal is that the former only has one year left on his contract, so the Cavaliers would have to give up two guaranteed years of an All-Star guard in exchange for a single guaranteed season of an All-Star big man.
The New Orleans Pelicans may have their sights set on acquiring Irving, but they may need a lot of things to go their way for that to happen.
