Kyrie Irving trade rumors: Cleveland Cavaliers should trade LeBron James instead
Despite all of the Kyrie Irving trade rumors, LeBron James seems like the more logical candidate to be dealt by the Cleveland Cavaliers in the coming months.
If it wasn’t for LeBron James, Kyrie Irving likely wouldn’t be where he is today. Despite that, it appears he’s ready to move on from the Cleveland Cavaliers and be his own superstar somewhere else.
On Friday, ESPN‘s Brian Windhorst dropped a bomb on the NBA world, reporting that Irving had requested a trade during a meeting with Cleveland brass. According to Windhorst, Irving wants to be more of a “focal point” and “no longer wants to play alongside LeBron James.” That’s a rather harsh stance for a player who owes the King for his only championship ring.
A few team names were dropped by Windhorst as landing spots Irving is interested in. The four teams mentioned: Miami Heat, Minnesota Timberwolves, New York Knicks and San Antonio Spurs.
Correct me if I’m wrong, but Irving would not be the top player on at least two of those teams. He’d probably be in an even worse position in Minnesota, where Karl-Anthony Towns, Jimmy Butler and Andrew Wiggins will all be sharing the spotlight. You should know the situation in San Antonio. Kristaps Porzingis could also make a case for being the brighter star in New York.
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Regardless, I don’t think trading Irving is the way to go for the Cavaliers. If they want to salvage some hope for the future, they’d be wise to instead trade away James. I mean, he already seems destined to leave the club next offseason anyway.
In Irving, they have a 25-year-old point guard who is already one of the NBA’s best. He’s a dynamic playmaker who is among the elite in the league at getting hot at the right time. Three years remain on Irving’s current deal (the third is a player option), whereas LeBron can jump ship in 2018.
There’s already been a lot of smoke surrounding James taking his talents west to join the Los Angeles Lakers next offseason. And where there’s smoke, there’s usually fire. He’s got a home in Los Angeles and knows business opportunities are plentiful in SoCal. He’d also love making that connection with fellow business-minded baller Magic Johnson.
If the King already has one foot out the door, why trade the player with multiple years left on his contract? Trading away James gives Irving an opportunity to be the go-to guy in Cleveland. Plus, a the Cavaliers can recoup some assets in a potential deal. If this became an option, you’d better believe the Lakers would at least be willing to have a conversation.
Here’s a possible scenario that works in the ESPN Trade Machine:
Brook Lopez and Julius Randle are both unlikely to be re-signed next offseason. So, in essence, the Lakers aren’t losing much my getting rid of them. At the same time, the Cavaliers get a true offensive big man who can mask Tristan Thompson‘s deficiencies. Randle is an exciting young option at power forward who can replace Kevin Love when he’s inevitably traded.
Clarkson makes the numbers work, but also gives the Cavaliers a quality combo guard to work with while allowing the Lakers to unload more cap space with which to maneuver in 2018.
This, of course, is assuming James waives his no-trade clause. However, as the rumors would suggest, his interest in the Lakers is real enough to assume that would happen.
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Is it a crazy scenario that seems extremely unlikely to play out? Perhaps. At the same time, I don’t think many expected Irving to be requesting a trade after three straight Finals trips. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again — anything can happen in the NBA.