Kyrie Irving could become one of youngest stars ever to change teams

Kyrie Irving knows, as well as anyone, the value of being an All-Star – how the status validates on-court performance, sells shoes and can be flipped for even more exposure. Irving is comfortable in that environment, promoting his brand at four All-Star weekends already and winning All-Star game MVP in 2014 in New Orleans.

He was back in New Orleans for this year’s All-Star game when he was asked to name his all-time All-Star team.

Joe Vardon of Cleveland.com:

As Irving announced his team -- he was responding to a question -- he said “I’d put MJ at the 1, Kobe at the 2, Ray Allen at the 3, gotta space it out, got to have a spot up 4, so I’m probably going to go with KG, he’s going to rim-run, do the dirty work. I’d put Shaq at the 5.”

What about LeBron?

Irving, via Vardon:

“Yeah, yeah, yeah well, I mean, he (James) understands,” Irving told cleveland.com, as he walked off the podium.

Foreshadowing? Perhaps.

Irving has requested a trade from the Cavaliers, reportedly to escape LeBron’s shadow.

But take a step back from Irving’s answer, and his mere presence in New Orleans as an All-Star – again, already – foretold immense demand in the trade market.

Irving is just 25 and a four-time All-Star. Only two players have reached so many All-Star games and changed teams while as young as Irving is now: Shaquille O’Neal and Tracy McGrady.

Here’s every All-Star to switch teams before turning 26 and their age when the transaction occurred, Irving included for reference as if he were dealt today:

Player	All-Star berths	Year	From	To	Age
Jrue Holiday	1	2013	PHI	NOP	23 years, 1 month, 0 days
Terry Dischinger	2	1964	BAL	DET	23 years, 6 months, 28 days
Jason Kidd	1	1996	DAL	PHO	23 years, 9 months, 3 days
Ray Felix	1	1954	BLB	NYK	23 years, 9 months, 7 days
Jamaal Wilkes	1	1977	GSW	LAL	24 years, 2 months, 9 days
Shaquille O’Neal	4	1996	ORL	LAL	24 years, 4 months, 12 days
Stephon Marbury	1	2001	NJN	PHO	24 years, 4 months, 28 days
Don Sunderlage	1	1954	MLH	MNL	24 years, 8 months, 29 days
Mel Hutchins	1	1953	MLH	FTW	24 years, 9 months, 1 day
Andrew Bynum	1	2012	LAL	PHI	24 years, 9 months, 14 days
Tracy McGrady	4	2004	ORL	HOU	25 years, 1 month, 5 days
Chris Webber	1	1998	WAS	SAC	25 years, 2 months, 13 days
Bob McAdoo	3	1976	BUF	NYK	25 years, 2 months, 14 days
Billy Knight	1	1977	IND	BUF	25 years, 2 months, 23 days
Len Chappell	1	1966	NYK	CHI	25 years, 3 months, 0 days
Len Chappell	1	1966	CHI	CIN	25 years, 9 months, 25 days
Kenny Anderson	1	1996	NJN	CHA	25 years, 3 months, 10 days
Kenny Anderson	1	1996	CHA	POR	25 years, 9 months, 14 days
Butch Beard	1	1972	CLE	SEA	25 years, 3 months, 19 days
Frank Selvy	1	1958	STL	MNL	25 years, 3 months, 7 days
Kyrie Irving	4	2017	CLE	?	25 years, 4 months, 5 days
Otis Birdsong	3	1981	KCK	NJN	25 years, 5 months, 30 days
LeBron James	6	2010	CLE	MIA	25 years, 6 months, 10 days
John Johnson	1	1973	CLE	POR	25 years, 6 months, 6 days
Frank Selvy	1	1958	MNL	STL	25 years, 7 months, 22 days
Sean Elliott	1	1993	SAS	DET	25 years, 7 months, 29 days
Dennis Johnson	2	1980	SEA	PHO	25 years, 8 months, 17 days
Alonzo Mourning	2	1995	CHA	MIA	25 years, 8 months, 26 days
Andrew Bynum	1	2013	PHI	CLE	25 years, 8 months, 22 days
Baron Davis	2	2005	NOH	GSW	25 years, 10 months, 11 days
Bernard King	1	1982	GSW	NYK	25 years, 10 months, 18 days
Vin Baker	3	1997	MIL	SEA	25 years, 10 months, 2 days
Kiki VanDeWeghe	2	1984	DEN	POR	25 years, 10 months, 6 days
Frank Selvy	1	1958	STL	NYK	25 years, 11 months, 13 days
Kevin Love	3	2014	MIN	CLE	25 years, 11 months, 16 days
Mike Mitchell	1	1981	CLE	SAS	25 years, 11 months, 22 days

Irving didn’t sneak into only one All-Star game like Jrue Holiday and Andrew Bynum. Irving is a near-perennial selection.

And unlike several players on the above list, he’s also doing it in era where there are more NBA teams than All-Star spots. In the 60s, when the league was smaller, NBA teams averaged more than two All-Stars each.

Irving is under contract for two more years before he can opt out, and his salaries – and $18,868,626 and $20,099,189 – became bargains when the new national TV contracts caused the salary cap to skyrocket.

The timing of Irving’s trade request becoming public has certainly contributed to the frenzy, as other NBA storylines have quieted for the summer. LeBron’s enormous profile also draws attention to anything involving him and his team.

But players like Irving – young established stars – rarely become available. No matter when this story leaked or whom Irving was playing with, this is a special opportunity for whichever team acquires him.