The NBA Trade Deadline has passed, but that hasn’t stopped the rumour mill from continuing to explode.
In the wake of what was a truly mind-boggling final 24 hours, a trade conspiracy theory has been floated which has grabbed the attention of the basketball world.
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As the league and fans caught their breath after the 6am (AEDT) deadline passed, ESPN’s Brian Windhorst teased a stunning potential move in the off-season.
The two biggest moves of the Trade Period came out of the Brooklyn Nets when they traded Kyrie Irving to the Dallas Mavericks on Monday before the biggest bombshell of all came when they sent Kevin Durant to the Phoenix Suns.
But while they may right now be on rival Western Conference teams, Windhorst floated the theory the two men could join forces once again.
“Let me point out that Kyrie and James Harden are free agents in the summer. If you think this is over, it ain’t over. Kyrie really was interested in being in Phoenix, so just start thinking about that,” Windhorst said on ESPN’s Get Up.
Irving’s reported wishlist of landing spots included the Phoenix Suns and with a new owner at the helm who proved on Thursday he’ll do whatever it takes to land star talent, the Windhorst remarks could well ring true.
The Suns were active in the lead up to landing the biggest deal during the Trade Period with multiple reports they were looking to offload superstar point guard Chris Paul.
Paul is nearing the end of his contract with the organisation with only half of his contract for next season guaranteed.
It means the Suns could go guns blazing in order to bring in a third superstar to pair with Durant and Devin Booker.
The Mavericks’ trade for Irving came with considerable risk as he can simply become an unrestricted free agent this summer.
They do however hold the trump card in being able to offer him more money than any rivals, but now with Windhorst’s report the Mavericks may need to start plotting another mega trade come the off-season. The Mavericks have reportedly shown interest in acquiring Suns big man Deandre Ayton.
Ayton’s future with the Suns has remained under a cloud ever since they failed to extend his contract before ultimately matching an offer sheet.
Despite all the headaches that come along with the signing of Irving, pairing him with Durant and Booker would make the Suns an instant NBA Championship favourite.
Irving’s time in Brooklyn was as turbulent as they come after he signed in free agency in July 2019.
After becoming the ninth player in NBA history to join the 50-40-90 club and the fourth to do so while averaging 25 points a game, Irving refused to be vaccinated against Covid-19, preventing him from playing or practising with the Nets for a two-month stretch.
The eight-time All-Star eventually returned to the Nets as a part-time player, only playing games outside of the New York and Toronto area, where local laws required him to be vaccinated in order to play.
The 30-year-old requested and was granted permission to seek a sign-and-trade last year, but eventually returned to the Nets alongside 13-time All-Star teammate Kevin Durant, opting into a US$37 million player option.
In November last year, the Nets suspended Irving for refusing to “unequivocally say he has no antisemitic beliefs” after he took to Twitter to share a link to an antisemitic 2018 documentary entitled “Hebrews to Negroes”.
