NBA Rumors: Bucks Could Get Kyrie Irving For Package Centered On Jrue Holiday
As of this writing, the Milwaukee Bucks are off to a solid start, with their 8-4 record tying them for third place in the Eastern Conference. However, a new report suggests that the club could improve its chances of winning this year’s NBA Finals by making a trade for disgruntled Brooklyn Nets superstar Kyrie Irving.
On Thursday, NBA Analysis Network brought up Irving’s current situation with the Nets, where he has missed five straight games due to personal reasons and is rumored to be planning to sit out the rest of the 2020-21 campaign. If this happens, that would mean he would have played just 27 games across two seasons in Brooklyn, though it’s possible that the Nets might get “fed up” with the point guard and ship him to a rival team ahead of the March 25 deadline.
According to the publication, the Bucks could be one of Irving’s potential suitors and could offer a package featuring three players — Jrue Holiday, Donte DiVincenzo, and D.J. Wilson — and their first-round pick in the 2021 draft in order to land the six-time All-Star. This move, as speculated, could give Milwaukee the “second piece of that dynamic duo” it has been looking to form, with two-time MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo getting the superstar teammate he needs.
Despite Irving’s perceived status as one of the NBA’s top 10 players, the outlet warned that the Bucks might have to consider certain issues if they choose to acquire the 28-year-old — issues that might be related to his unhappiness toward the end of his stints with the Cleveland Cavaliers and later, the Boston Celtics.
“There is no way he could be unhappy with the Nets. He chose to team up with [Kevin] Durant and head to Brooklyn. This goes beyond basketball and it [is] something that the Bucks would have to look long and hard into.”
As for the Nets, the site wrote that the club might still be able to contend for a championship without Irving, as it recently acquired James Harden from the Houston Rockets in a four-team blockbuster deal. DiVincenzo and Wilson could serve as “depth pieces” off the bench following Caris LeVert’s move to the Indiana Pacers in the Harden trade, while Holiday could turn out to be the “biggest piece” in the hypothetical transaction. As pointed out, the erstwhile Bucks guard is a strong passer and ball-handler and could also be a good fit as he isn’t a ball-dominant player like Harden and Durant.
The Bucks are not the only team that has been mentioned this week as a possible landing spot for Irving if he gets traded. As reported by The Inquisitr, an earlier trade idea suggested that the Miami Heat could land him for a package featuring two future first-rounders, veteran Andre Iguodala, and promising youngsters Tyler Herro and Precious Achiuwa.
