Nuggets Rumors: Cavaliers ‘starting to engage’ teams in Kyrie Irving trade talks

The Denver Nuggets seem to have some interest in Kyrie Irving, and the Cleveland Cavaliers have reportedly started to engage teams around the NBA in trade talks now.

Unless you’ve been living under a rock that completely shelters you from the NBA world over the last few days, you’ll know that Kyrie Irving has asked for a trade from the Cleveland Cavaliers because he doesn’t want to play with LeBron James anymore. If you’re a Denver Nuggets fan, you’ll probably know that the team has popped up in rumors as an interesting destination, and their intention to contact the Cavs has been reported as well.

Every team in the slightest need of some offensive help or a point guard upgrade should at least do their due diligence and call the Cavs to ask about Irving’s value. The Nuggets have probably done that by now along with a bunch of other organizations.

We now know that the Cavs are not just in a position to likely trade him, but they are officially “starting to engage in trade talks to move All-Star guard Kyrie Irving,” as ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski has reported.

The teams Irving told the Cavs he was interested in are most likely going to be the first to get involved. The New York Knicks obviously need to upgrade the talent around Kristaps Porzingis, especially now that their point guard, Derrick Rose, is in Cleveland.

The Miami Heat are less clear as a destination due to exactly what they’d offer that would seriously help the Cavs and Dion Waiters, a player Irving didn’t get along with during their time in Cleveland, being in Miami.

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The Minnesota Timberwolves can offer Andrew Wiggins (how hilarious would it be to see him head to Cleveland in this weird scenario after being sent away for Kevin Love in 2014?), but have little else of interest, seeing as players like Jeff Teague, their new point guard, can’t be traded until December after just signing in free agency this summer. There are also obvious question of fit when considering how Irving would get all the shots and control he wants next to players like Jimmy Butler and Karl-Anthony Towns.

As for the San Antonio Spurs, it’s clear that Irving is hardly a typical Spurs-y player. He also wouldn’t be the best player on the team so long as Kawhi Leonard is around. That said, maybe Irving is willing to adjust somewhat to get out of LeBron’s shadow (Leonard is as quiet as superstars come) and the Spurs could really use more offensive firepower and creation to help ease the burden on Leonard.

These teams will likely be having talks with the Cavs, but so can the Nuggets. They have a lot to offer with their combination of young talent, and while they shouldn’t give up two pieces of their core in Jamal Murray and Gary Harris, they could include one to form an enticing package.

Next: Who's expendable: Harris or Murray?

Irving could do a lot to help the Nuggets (more on that here), so we’ll all be waiting eagerly to see if we hear any more about their potential involvement. Just remember that the Cavs don’t need to rush, so don’t expect a Woj bomb to drop any time soon.