The Miami Heat reportedly have some level of interest in Brooklyn Nets guard Kyrie Irving.
Miami is believed to have some level of interest in joining the chase for Kyrie Irving, per @TheSteinLine pic.twitter.com/bJNqK5JYdI
— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) June 22, 2022
Irving, who has a player option on his contract for the 2022-23 season, could opt out and leave the Nets as an unrestricted free agent. He could also opt into his deal and demand a trade for Brooklyn if the two sides can’t come to an agreement on a long-term contract extension.
The Heat certainly could use another scorer of Irving’s pedigree on the roster, but they would likely need to work out a sign and trade with the Nets for salary cap reasons.
Miami was the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference in the 2021-22 season, but it fell short of the NBA Finals, losing to the Boston Celtics in seven games in the Eastern Conference Finals.
While he is a great player, Irving comes with a little bit of baggage as well.
He has missed time with injuries over the last few seasons, and last year he appeared in just 29 games during the regular season. The seven-time All-Star was unable to play in Nets’ home games for a good chunk of the season due to his vaccination status.
Despite that, Irving averaged 27.4 points, 4.4 rebounds and 5.8 assists per game while shooting 46.9 percent from the field and 41.8 percent from beyond the arc.
Right now, Miami has Kyle Lowry, Tyler Herro and Gabe Vincent as its primary ball-handlers at the guard position.
If Irving and the Nets decide to go their separate ways, it will be interesting to see how aggressive Miami is in pursuing the talented guard.
