There’s another prop bet on the NBA board at DraftKings where you can wager on where Kyrie Irving will play next season. The Los Angeles Lakers are the betting favorite to secure Irving in a trade from the Brooklyn Nets that also involves Russell Westbrook.
The Nets are shopping Irving and Kevin Durant because both All-Stars want out of the Big Apple. The Phoenix Suns and Toronto Raptors are betting favorites to add Durant in a trade. Irving’s trade market is much smaller compared to his coveted teammate.
| NBA Prop Bet: Kyrie Irving Next Team Odds |
- LA Lakers -400
- Brooklyn Nets +600
- Dallas Mavericks +1200
- Philadelphia 76ers +1500
- Miami Heat +1500
- New York Knicks +1600
- Minnesota Timberwolves +1800
- Chicago Bulls +1800
- Utah Jazz +2000
- Phoenix Suns +2000
- LA Clippers +2000
- Portland Trail Blazers +3000
- Detroit Pistons +3000
- New Orleans Pelicans +3000
- Toronto Raptors +3500
Irving opted in for a one-year deal worth $36.5 million while avoiding free agency. That move ruled out a long-term deal with a new team via sign-and-trade, so there’s a good chance that Irving bolts next summer from wherever the Nets send him in a trade. So, if any team wants to leverage their future for the mercurial Irving, they’ll have to be confident they can retain his services instead of risking a one-and-done season.
Lakers seek Westbrook/Irving trade
The Lakers and general manager Rob Pelinka don’t have many options to trade Westbrook, especially after he opted-in for $47.1 million in the last year of his max contract. Teams don’t want the hassle of dealing with Westbrook, nor do they want to do any favors for LeBron James.
However, the Nets are in a unique situation to take advantage of a desperate Pelinka and a Lakers squad hell-bent on ditching Westbrook after securing him in a disastrous trade last summer.
Securing Irving in a trade with the Lakers will reunite Irving with LeBron. The two alphas constantly butted heads, but won a title together with the Cleveland Cavaliers back in 2016. At this point, LeBron would rather take a flier on Irving than waste another season with Westbrook on the roster.
The Lakers are the betting favorite at -400 odds to secure Irving once the Nets and Lakers can iron out the add-ins in the trade.
The Lakers would have to deal first-round draft picks — presumably in 2027 and 2029 — and also have to throw in Talen Horton-Tucker and/or Kendrick Nunn to sweeten the Westbrook/Irving trade with the Nets.
The Nets want to package Irving and Joe Harris in any deal with the Lakers. Harris is a reliable sniper, but he’s coming off season-ending ankle surgery. The Lakers aren’t interested in Harris, preferring Seth Curry instead. Curry ($8.5 million) is set to earn $10 million less than Harris ($18.6 million).
Nets: Hold on?
The Nets can take their time with the Irving trade and wait until the season begins before moving him to the highest bidder. However, word on the street indicates that they’re rushing to work out a deal with the Lakers sooner than later, and then let the Durant trade talk play out over the rest of the summer.
The Nets are the second-favorite at +600 odds to become Irving’s next team at the start of the season. The Mavs (+1200), Philadelphia 76ers (+1500), Miami Heat (+1500), and New York Knicks (+1600) round out the top six on the prop betting board at DraftKings.
The Mavs are an interesting potential landing spot for Irving in a trade with the Nets. You’d think they’d be more interested in Durant, but then again, they need to fill a hole at point guard after Jalen Brunson signed with the Knicks.
The Knicks had the hots for Irving for several years, yet missed out on signing him a couple of summers ago when he and Durant signed with the Brooklyn Nets instead. As a Knicks fan, I’m happy they dodged a bullet and didn’t sign Irving. After all, he played in only 103 games with the Nets since he signed his lucrative deal. The Knicks are still +1600 odds to land Irving in an inter-borough trade.
The Miami Heat are an odd choice considering that Jimmy Butler’s on-court personality will never mesh well with the unpredictable Irving. Yet, the Heat are +1500 odds to snag Irving in a trade.
Check out more NBA trade rumors.