Analyst proposes blockbuster three-team Kyrie Irving trade to Suns

Wright's proposal comes in the wake of insider Chris Haynes' Thursday report that the star point guard plans to meet with the Suns (among other teams) when free agency begins on Friday.

Per Haynes, it may be tough for Phoenix to land Irving this summer due to the league's collective bargaining agreement (CBA) and it would likely have to come via a sign-and-trade. Still, the insider writes that even in that situation, the Suns would be "hard-capped at the first salary-cap apron," currently projected to be $172M.

"They also aren't expected to have access to the $12.4M non-taxpayer mid-level exception or the $5M taxpayer mid-level exception at the moment," Haynes adds.

Following a bumpy two-year run with the Boston Celtics, Irving signed a four-year, $136.4M contract with the Brooklyn Nets in July 2019. Despite sharing the court for a brief period with a pair of future hall of famers in James Harden and Kevin Durant, Irving's three-plus season tenure in Brooklyn was even more scandalous than his Beantown stay.

The eight-time All-Star was mired in controversy after controversy with the Nets and missed games for reasons ranging from his refusal to get vaccinated against COVID-19 to sharing anti-Semitic material on social media. Three days before Durant was traded to Phoenix, Irving was sent to the Dallas Mavericks in February to team up with Luka Doncic.

The duo fell short of expectations in the spring though, failing to even qualify for the play-in tournament.

Now, while the Mavs are still reportedly the favorites to re-sign the former Rookie of the Year, the Suns are being "ultra-aggressive in trying to assemble top talent" to play with Durant, Devin Booker and the newly acquired Bradley Beal, per Haynes.

Irving is eligible for a five-year, $272M max contract this offseason.

Buddy Hield and Myles Turner have spent much of the last couple of seasons dodging trade rumors in Indiana, with the latter having spent his entire eight-year career with the Pacers. Deandre Ayton's name has become increasingly popular in trade talks over the last year too, and with the Suns committed to the trio of Beal, Booker and Durant, Ayton could find himself as the odd man out.