The Cleveland Cavaliers’ asking price for Kyrie Irving was always going to be high, but they could want a duo the Denver Nuggets can’t lose: Jamal Murray and Gary Harris.
The Cleveland Cavaliers want a lot for Kyrie Irving. That’s not exactly earth-shattering information. However, just how much they want for him, given how little teams have received for superstars this year, could be particularly high. When considering how much they could demand from the Denver Nuggets in potential trade talks, the Cavs may easily ask for too much.
ESPN’s Zach Lowe has just released a new column on the Kyrie Irving situation, now that Irving is the story of the NBA after asking for a trade from the Cavs because he doesn’t want to play with LeBron James anymore. Lowe started out by highlighting the Cavs’ confidence in landing a “king’s ransom” for Irving, which doesn’t bode well for the Nuggets:
"The Cavaliers are projecting confidence they can snare a king’s ransom for Kyrie Irving, and more than that, they are acting — for now — as if a trade is almost inevitable, and that there is little chance of salvaging their relationship with him, according to several sources familiar with the situation."
Lowe went on to add that the Cavs aren’t put off by how little DeMarcus Cousins, Paul George and Jimmy Butler landed their respective teams in trades. Instead, the Cavs are insistent on getting a haul, specifically a valuable young player, a profile that the Nuggets’ Jamal Murray fits perfectly:
"Cleveland is seeking a bundle of assets, but the highest priority right now is snagging a blue-chip young player, according to sources across the league. That is not necessarily a signal they think James is leaving. They would like to get everything: one or two veterans who can help LeBron dethrone Golden State, that blue-chipper, and picks."
After discussing other teams such as the Milwaukee Bucks, Lowe went on to spend a fair amount of time considering the Nuggets as an interesting situation for Irving. A couple of days ago, I wrote about the benefits of Irving in Denver and considered a few similar perks to those Lowe mentioned, such as playing off Nikola Jokic and how joining that kind of movement-based system could bring out the best of Irving and adjust his mindset somewhat.
However, while we always knew the Cavs would ask for a lot, Lowe suggested that they may ask for the player combination that most Nuggets fans wouldn’t want to lose in order to get Irving: Jamal Murray and Gary Harris:
"The price would be steep. Cleveland would likely ask for Wilson Chandler, Gary Harris, Murray, and a first-round pick. Dealing both Harris and Murray would blow a hole in Denver’s exciting young core; if Irving signs elsewhere in two years, what do they have left? They would surely fight to keep one, and might even make doing so a deal-breaker."
Lowe did mention the idea of bringing in the Brooklyn Nets to complete a three-team trade that would send Jeremy Lin to the Cavs so LeBron still has a capable, experienced point guard next to him, but added that there has been no noise about the Nets having any interest in this yet. Brooklyn wants to see how the pairing of D’Angelo Russell and Lin works next season.
Ultimately, if the Cavs were to ask for a package including Murray and Harris from the Nuggets, it would be too much. As brilliant as Irving would be to add more offensive creation, elite ball handling and more go-to scoring to help when teams lock in on Jokic in the playoffs, it’s an easy “no” if that’s the asking price.
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Seeing as the Nuggets would only receive two guaranteed years of Irving before he could leave in free agency, losing two integral parts of the team’s core in Murray and Harris, who both have room to grow, is an ugly thought. Especially as Murray is still on a cheap rookie contract for three more years and can be retained as a restricted free agent after that. If the Nuggets are losing that much depth and future security for a shot with Irving’s talent, who will obviously require some adjusting as well, it’s not worth it.
Alternatively, if the Cavs are being too optimistic with their expectations and don’t get the kind of “king’s ransom” they’re hoping for from other teams either, then maybe the Nuggets can negotiate to only include one of Murray or Harris. At that point, a trade is fully worth discussing.
Next: Why Nuggets should pursue a trade for Kyrie
For now, we’ll have to wait and see how these Irving trade rumors develop, but possibly with a touch less excitement if you’re a Nuggets fan. While Denver may have a chance to make something work if the Cavs simply don’t receive the offers they want going forward, they’re certainly intent on more than the Nuggets should sacrifice right now.