Kyrie Irving reportedly asked the Cavs for a trade, and the team suddenly seems to be falling apart
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One month after a Finals loss to the Golden State Warriors, the Cleveland Cavaliers seem to be falling apart.
On Friday, ESPN's Brian Windhorst reported that Kyrie Irving had asked the Cavaliers for a trade during a meeting with team owner Dan Gilbert.
Irving reportedly wants to be the focus of an offense and team and to separate from LeBron James.
Windhorst reported that James was "disappointed" to learn of Irving's request:
"Kyrie Irving is ready to end his run with the Cleveland Cavaliers, as league sources told ESPN that the guard has asked the team to trade him.
"The request came last week and was made to Cavaliers owner Dan Gilbert. Irving has expressed that he wants to play in a situation where he can be a more focal point and no longer wants to play alongside LeBron James, sources said. ...
"James was informed of Irving's request and was blindsided and disappointed, sources said. Irving did talk about the meeting to several other teammates, a league source told ESPN's Dave McMenamin."
Irving raised eyebrows when he told Sports Illustrated on Tuesday that the Cavs were in a "peculiar place."
"We just have to, you know, make sure that all our pieces are aligned first, and then we go from there," Irving said. "It's the summertime, a lot of craziness going on in the NBA."
Many assumed Irving was alluding to rumors that James may consider leaving the Cavs in free agency in 2018.
James' future, of course, is another storm on the horizon for the Cavs. He's reportedly "frustrated" and "concerned" about the Cavs after an offseason that featured only middling moves like signing veteran point guard Jose Calderon and veteran forward Jeff Green. In a summer when the Warriors got better, the Cavs seem to have stood still or moved backward.
In June, the Cavs chose not to renew general manager David Griffin's contract, then failed to land their top replacement, former NBA star Chauncey Billups. The Cavs have still not filled the vacancy.
According to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski and Chris Haynes, Irving's camp has mentioned four preferred destinations.
https://twitter.com/mims/statuses/888493088141737984
Sources: In the Kyrie Irving meeting with Cavs, one of primary teams raised as a preferred trade destination for him: The San Antonio Spurs.
https://twitter.com/mims/statuses/888495312377073664
ESPN Sources: On Kyrie Irving front, Cavs were given four preferred landing spots: New York, Miami, San Antonio, Minnesota.
It's unclear what the Cavaliers would want back in a trade, and much of it may hinge on whether they believe James will remain in Cleveland. In that scenario, perhaps they'd want more of a "win now" package in return to keep the team competitive. Several reports indicated the Cavs were in "serious" talks with Derrick Rose, who could be a cheap fill-in option for Irving, depending on the return.
However, there may be more to Irving's desire to be traded. If James is leaving the Cavs, perhaps Irving wants out rather than to rebuild in Cleveland, as he did the first few years of his career.
While Irving may yearn to be the face of a team, at 25 years old, entering the prime of his career, he may also want to get that opportunity in another city entirely, particularly if the Cavs were without James.
But just because Irving wants out doesn't mean his demands will be met. For now, however, the future of a team that has made the Finals three years in a row and seemed poised to continue to do so looks much murkier.
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