NBA fans were left perplexed by news Friday afternoon that Kyrie Irving had demanded a trade to one of four teams: the Knicks, Spurs, Heat, and Timberwolves. These destinations are all explicable in some way, but there are roadblocks to all four possibilities.

First off, we have to understand Irving's intentions behind a trade. Irving reportedly has a bad taste in his mouth from having to watch LeBron James run the offense all the time, so the first possibility is that Irving wants to prove that he can be the alpha on a winning team, taking lots of shots and running the offense all the time. The second possibility is that Irving wants to play in a big market for a team that gets a lot of viewership in order to boost his marketability and brand.

The reason Kyrie would want to play for the Timberwolves would be because of a partnership with great friend Jimmy Butler, and the chance to play alongside young prospects like Andrew Wiggins and Karl-Anthony Towns. The Timberwolves would have to involve a third team which is a serious barricade to acquiring Irving from the Cavs, unless they are willing to abort the Jimmy Butler experience before it begins which would make them a less attractive destination for Irving in the process.

The Knicks would be a decent fit for Irving if he wanted to be the star and the primary ball handler because they currently don’t have a starting caliber point guard, and only boast one solid offensive option in Kristaps Porzingis if Carmelo Anthony departs. Additionally, New York is one of the biggest markets a star can ask for which would definitely help Irving maximize his career earnings potential with numerous endorsement deals undoubtedly forthcoming. However, there are no trade scenarios that made sense to me for both the Cavs and the Knicks unless Carmelo Anthony is bought out and signs with the Cavs in addition to the Knicks giving up Courtney Lee, Kyle O’Quinn, and Willy Hernangomez.

The Heat would also make sense in this category because Miami is a big market, but the trade would be a great fit for both teams if the Heat would accept a trade involving Irving in exchange for giving the Cavs Goran Dragic, Justise Winslow, and Tyler Johnson. According to ESPN’s trade machine, the Cavs would add three wins worth of value and the Heat would lose two wins, but the trade would make sense for both teams from a personnel standpoint with the Heat gaining a superstar point guard to mix with an amazing young center in Hassan Whiteside.  

The Spurs make the most sense from the standpoint of Irving wanting to compete for a championship, but realistically the Spurs can’t get Irving because they don’t have cap space unless they trade away LaMarcus Aldridge to another team, because Cleveland certainly won’t want him, nor will any other team in the league without considerable assets added to sweeten the deal on San Antonio’s part. You can never count out R.C. Buford and his team, but acquiring Irving looks like a long shot for San Antonio largely for the same reasons many NBA experts were skeptical the Spurs could get Chris Paul before he signed with Houston.

The trade that's most justified between all parties involved would be a three-team trade that has already been thrown around today between the Suns, Knicks, and Cavs. The Cavs would send Kyrie Irving to the Knicks, the Knicks would send a first-round pick to the Suns, the Knicks would receive Irving from Cleveland while also buying out Anthony, allowing him to sign for the mid-level exception or veteran minimum with Cleveland. Additionally, Cleveland would receive Eric Bledsoe from the Phoenix Suns. This makes sense for everyone involved because Phoenix would get more high lottery picks via the Knicks while simultaneously getting rid of Bledsoe so that Devin Booker can get even more touches on the ball. The Knicks benefit because they get a young offensive stud in Irving to pair with an even younger stud in Porzingis. Cleveland benefits because adding Anthony and Bledsoe would give them a much better shot at beating the Warriors next season.