3 Ripple effects of blockbuster Kyrie Irving trade on the Spurs

3. Playoff teams will look to make big deals of their own, with the Spurs as a backup option.

Although there is still a possibility of the Spurs and Lakers trading directly with one another, it seems that the Lakers are just one of several teams looking to make a blockbuster deal. The Heat, Clippers, Lakers, and Suns all appear to be looking to make a homerun trade, and there are only so many available players who can have as much of an impact as Irving.

That means most of those teams will fail in their pursuit and could look to the Spurs to make a last-minute deal. That is in contrast to the trade market before Irving's request when it seemed the Spurs were going to be significant players at the deadline instead of just a backup option. Fortunately, it might not be as bad as it sounds.

The Spurs appear to have already held trade talks with several teams, and those talks could always resume as teams become more desperate to make a deal. Better yet, the Irving trade, combined with the tightly packed league standings, could pressure other clubs to agree to the Spurs' trade demands. Let's hope for some frustrated playoff teams come calling an hour or two before the deadline.