Why the Wizards should and should not trade for Kyrie Irving

Kyrie Irving is a wild card, and the Washington Wizards should be aware of that.

Kyrie Irving has had his fair share of controversy in recent years, from demanding a trade away from a team with LeBron James to lying to the Boston Celtics fans, to all of his off the court drama with the Brooklyn Nets. This should cause the Washington Wizards to be hesitant when considering this trade possibility.

Kyrie Irving has always marched to the beat of his own drum. While that has gained him the respect of many, it has also led to plenty of trouble for the All-Star point guard.

He has had everything from controversial tweets and flat earth conspiracies to randomly disappearing for a month straight just to show up at a party that was against the NBA’s rules at the time.

He is the true definition of a wild card player, which could rub the Wizards the wrong way after already having a long history of unreliable players who don’t always do what’s best for the team. From Gilbert Arenas to John Wall, they are likely looking to avoid players who can lead to controversy off the court, even if they embrace the fan base and help the team win.

No matter what benefit a player like Irving could bring to a team, there is always the possibility that his off the court antics hold them back as a team just as they have in Boston and Brooklyn.

Ultimately, the decision is up to Tommy Sheppard who has a lengthy history of making great trades in his short time as GM of the Washington Wizards. If he decides to go all in and trade for Kyrie Irving, then we’ll just have to hope it’s the right decision.