Is Kyrie Irving the Missing Piece for Phoenix Suns?

The idea of Kyrie Irving in a Phoenix Suns jersey is easy to understand.

A post from SleeperSuns asked a simple question: “Is Kyrie our answer?” The post was attached to another fan’s thought that Irving has long felt like a dream Suns target and may now be more attainable than ever because of his age and ACL recovery.

As a basketball concept, it is not hard to see the appeal.

Irving remains one of the most skilled offensive players in the NBA when healthy. His handle is still elite. His footwork is still special. He can create separation without needing a screen, finish with either hand, shoot off the dribble, punish switches and operate late in the clock. 

The fit with Booker is especially intriguing.

Booker has grown far beyond the pure scorer label. He is still one of the league’s better tough-shot makers, but his playmaking has become a major part of his game. He averaged 6.0 assists this season, showing that he can run offense, manipulate coverages and make reads when defenses load up on him. Pairing him with Irving would give Phoenix two guards who can both score and create, which would make the offense harder to load up against.

That is where Irving’s off-ball value becomes important.

Kyrie is not just a ball-dominant guard. He can play away from the action, spot up, relocate, and attack closeouts after defenses shift toward another star. That makes him easier to pair with Booker than a more limited lead guard. Booker could still initiate. Irving could still close. 

The Suns also have enough around them to make the idea interesting. Jalen Green gives the roster another explosive scoring guard. Dillon Brooks brings edge and wing defense. Grayson Allen provides shooting. Mark Williams gives Phoenix size in the middle. Ryan Dunn and other younger pieces give the team some athleticism and defensive upside.

The issue is not whether Irving can help. The issue is whether Phoenix can realistically get him without creating a different problem.

Salary matching would be difficult. Irving’s contract is large enough that the Suns would likely have to include a major salary to make a trade work. Jalen Green’s deal is the cleanest matching piece, but moving him would mean giving up a younger guard who still fits Booker’s timeline. If Phoenix does not include Green, it would probably have to stack multiple rotation players together, which could weaken the depth that makes the roster good in the first place.

That is the first concern.

The second is health.

Irving is coming off ACL reconstruction surgery and missed the rest of the season while recovering. A healthy Irving is one of the most skilled guards in basketball. A 34-year-old Irving returning from a major knee injury is a different bet. Phoenix would have to ask whether he can still create the same separation, absorb the same defensive attention and hold up through a full 82-game season.

The Suns have already learned how risky it can be to build around star power without enough durability, depth or roster balance. Adding Irving would raise the ceiling, but it could also create another expensive, fragile structure if his body does not cooperate.

Join The SunsRoundtable

Head over to the SunsRoundtable page and hit the "Join" button under the featured story... it's completely FREE! You'll have the opportunity to engage with other Suns fans who live and breathe the team, share your thoughts on the organization, and more. If you're asked to sign up or download the Roundtable app... that's free too.

Wes Dixon is a contributing writer to SunsRoundtable. He can be reached at [email protected].