The San Antonio Spurs are being linked to a bold move that would send De'Aaron Fox out and bring Kyrie Irving in.
USA Today’s Wajih AlBaroudi floated the idea of Irving as a fit in San Antonio, pointing to Fox’s struggles in the NBA Finals and Irving’s track record when the pressure spikes. As AlBaroudi put it, “De'Aaron Fox was abysmal when it mattered most in the NBA Finals, so it'd be hard to blame the Spurs from moving on at point guard.
Irving has championship experience with the Cleveland Cavaliers and isn't afraid to take the big shot in the biggest moment. He'd be a perfect complement to Victor Wembanyama,”
That kind of move would also put Irving in position to mentor a pair of young guards the Spurs are expected to lean on in Dylan Harper and Stephon Castle. Both are viewed as future stars, and the idea of adding a veteran like Irving would give them a proven voice in the backcourt.
Charles Barkley offered a big statement on the pair, saying, “If I’m a guard in the NBA, I do not want to see them boys the next 10 years. They’re going to be the new Steph and Klay,”
The buzz around Irving isn’t happening in a vacuum, either. The Mavericks are reportedly taking their time before making any decisions on their roster, with the first several games of the season potentially shaping Irving’s future in Dallas.
“The Mavericks, as we've been writing since mid-June, have consistently swatted away trade interest this offseason in nine-times-an-All-Star guard Kyrie Irving. Rival teams, however, continue to wonder aloud about how firmly Dallas will stick to that stance once the season begins and the next in-season trade deadline on Feb. 11 gradually approaches.
The primary factor fueling that curiosity, of course, is that fact that Irving is 34 and Mavericks star forward Cooper Flagg is 19. Not your average age gap between the team's two best players," The Stein Line's Marc Stein wrote.
Irving, who has earned $347 million in his career, would bring championship experience to a Spurs team trying to take its next step. Last season, that was one thing they did not have.
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The appeal for the Mavericks is straightforward because Flagg does not need to become a volume marksman overnight to change the equation. What Dallas needs is progress, and Fodors arrival suggests the team is serious about helping him get there. If that work takes hold, it could be one of the small offseason adjustments that ends up carrying a much bigger impact once the games matter. [Read more 🡒]