NBA Offseason: The Top Three Landing Spots for Kyrie Irving According to Bookmakers

While the NBA has already seen some massive moves be made during the offseason, there are still plenty of players waiting to find a new home. That list is led by point guard Kyrie Irving, who is by far the most talented player of this season’s free agent class. However, the veteran guard has also become one of the most polarizing figures in sports that has had issues with teams and fanbases over the years.

There is no shortage of rumors regarding where Irving will land, but US sportsbooks have set odds on where they believe he will sign. Below we will share the top three betting favorites to sign the controversial guard and discuss why the signing could make sense for each.

The Mavericks traded for Kyrie last season to pair with All-Star Luca Doncic. While Irving played well, the experiment failed as the Mavericks went from a top-four team in the West to missing the playoffs altogether. Injuries to Doncic contributed to their demise, but there were also rumors that the pair did not get along. However, the Mavericks are currently the favorite to re-sign Kyrie. While the Kyrie-Doncic pairing failed last season, the two could build off that to establish themselves once again as a contender in the west. If Doncic does indeed want Kyrie to return, you can expect the Mavs to push hard to ensure their superstar remains happy.

While Dallas is the heavy favorite to sign Kyrie, the Lakers are expected to push hard to bring in the All-Star. The driving force for that has been Lebron James, who won an NBA Championship with Kyrie when the pair where in Cleveland together. They have talked about wanting to join forces yet again, and LA could provide the perfect opportunity. We saw the Lakers struggle during the season while dealing with injuries, but they pulled things together at the end of the year and were able to advance to the Western Conference Finals. Adding a player like Kyrie could be enough to put them over the top and allow them to compete with Denver and Phoenix in the West. While the Lakers are a bit of a mess internally, Lebron’s influence could help lure Kyrie away from the Mavs.

While their odds show that bookmakers view the Heat as a longshot to sign Irving, it would be a mistake to count them out. Like the Lakers, the Heat surprised the league by advancing to the NBA Finals after a disappointing regular season. While they have a talented roster, their loss to Denver showed that they desperately need another star to pair with Jimmy Butler. Miami has been linked to Kyrie in the past, with the team looking to acquire him via trade. The Heat already lost out on Bradley Beal and have now turned their focus to Damian Lillard. If they are unable to trade for the Blazers’ star, you can expect them to make an effort to bring in Kyrie. If you are looking to bet on a Kyrie landing spot, the Heat’s current odds are too good to pass up.