573 replies to this topic

[SportsGuy]

Kyrie wants to be traded

http://www.espn.com/...eland-cavaliers

[bnickle]

Of course the LeBron loving media and fanatics will only turn this on Irving. In fact it'll be used as an excuse and sympathy for James when he leaves AGAIN. He's never been a leader and never will be one. The selfishness and lack of loyalty all these young players show now all go on the leader of their generation taking his talents to South Beach.


#millennialgoat

[Mike B]

The fact he told other team mates and did not talk to the "King" says it all.

 

I have said it before, being a great player does not make him a good team mate.  

[NewMarketSean]

Lebron to Philly?

[SportsGuy]

I don't have an issue that Kyrie wants out.

First of all, he knows LBJ is gone and why in the hell would you want to be in Cleveland?

Secondly, he also sees a crappy roster with an oft injured Love after LeBron leaves. They will be a middling team in the East(!). He wants to go somewhere that has talent and gives him a chance to win. Part of me is surprised he doesn't want another run next year but obviously there are some underlining issues with him and LeBron and he doesn't want to deal with it anymore.

[mweb08]

No problem if Kyrie wants out, but the bigger role part is humorous.

Also, lol to the LeBron isn't a good teammate talk. Obviously everyone isn't going to love him / fit in with him perfectly, but his reputation as a teammate is pretty damn good.

[bnickle]

The most overrated and underachieving legend ever. This is the guy who some will crown the greatest athlete of the first 25 years of this century. Maybe the first 50 years. When you compare that to the legends who came before and it just proves that we aren't evolving in every way. Just the opposite.

[mweb08]

BTW, Woj thinks that Kyrie wants out because LeBron isn't committed beyond next year, so he wants to get out ahead of that issue. On that same note, he feels that Kyrie would not have likely asked for a trade if LeBron was committed long-term. So according to him, this isn't about how much Kyrie likes LeBron or how well he fits with him, it's about his belief that James will likely leave and obviously he doesn't want to be left with the rest of the Cavs roster.

[BSLChrisStoner]

CBS Sports: NBA trade rumors: Evaluating possible destinations for Cavs' Kyrie Irving
https://www.cbssport...s-kyrie-irving/

[JeremyStrain]

No problem if Kyrie wants out, but the bigger role part is humorous.

Also, lol to the LeBron isn't a good teammate talk. Obviously everyone isn't going to love him / fit in with him perfectly, but his reputation as a teammate is pretty damn good.

 

Isn't a big part of being a good teammate NOT bailing and leaving a team whenever you think you can do better somewhere else? Seems like he plans on where he's not going to be more than he actually focuses on where he is.

[mweb08]

I think he's been very focused on where he has been. What suggests he hasn't? Yes, he hasn't committed beyond next year, but there isn't much reason to think he's looking beyond his current situation more than usual.

[JeremyStrain]

I think he's been very focused on where he has been. What suggests he hasn't? Yes, he hasn't committed beyond next year, but there isn't much reason to think he's looking beyond his current situation more than usual.

 

The fact that he makes sure he has an out every couple years and bounces from team to team pretty much every time to try to gain a championship advantage. That's pretty much the opposite of commitment.

 

Kyrie leaving like this kinda says he's looking beyond his current situation. You're playing with one of the best in the game, and all-time, and you demand a trade, that either screams like you said earlier that everyone on that team knows he's opting out, and they want off before the iceberg shows up, or he's that much of a jerk to play with. Take your pick.

 

To me, I want a teammate that isn't constantly evaluating his team and saying oh, well this team has such and such and such and such and the cap room to sign me, so I'm going to go there since I have a better chance to win instead of trying to win with my team.

[mweb08]

He bounces from team to team? Come on. Btw, he just finished his second year of a 3 year deal, without having an opt out. His initial opt out was to hold some leverage, but also made sense financially. KD did the same thing, except his second GSW contract is only for 2 years and he left some money on the table.

As far as taking my pick, well LeBron is very widely considered to be a good teammate, but Kyrie and him have butted heads before. Now that was mostly early on because of how they fit together on the court and how Kyrie needed to adapt his game and decrease his dominance of the ball.

So it could be that Kyrie wants to get out a year before LeBron might. However, why not just compete for another ring and then demand a trade next year?

The real primary reason based on a lot of reporting may be that Kyrie wants to be the man. He views himself as a superstar and doesn't want to take a backseat on offense to anyone. It is said that he has a Mamba mentality, so perhaps this is like the Shaq and Kobe dynamic without all the drama.

As far as what you want in a teammate, that's fine, but LeBron is basically damned either way. He settles in forever in a situation where he probably won't win titles and he gets bashed for not winning more. Then obviously he gets bashed for leaving too.

As for the teammate part, these other players are obviously thinking about their own situations too. LeBron is not unique at all in that way.

Ultimately, I'm generally not going to begrudge someone for playing where they want. I'm not going to bash someone for wanting to go elsewhere for a better chance to win, or because they'll have a better time playing with various players and/or for certain coaches, or they like the city better, family reasons, etc. These guys should do what's best for them imo.

[mweb08]

I'm of course very interested to see what comes of this trade demand. Depending on what direction Cleveland wants to go with it (boy it would be nice if they had a GM), they could actually use this to get better.

[mweb08]

I know some don't like to play the what if game, but I do...

If Golden State doesn't have arguably the best team ever, these Cavs likely have multiple rings, Kyrie might not want out, LeBron is likely more content, and they have a great chance at another championship or two.

[JordanKough]

It's actually fascinating to think about how much GS has changed the landscape of the NBA and Free Agency at large and I think it's completely fair to think of it in the context of Lebron. 

 

If KD stays in OKC (I still think he's a loser for going to the team that beat him in the playoffs just one year before, but whatever) the league stays pretty balanced. Does Paul stay in LAC at that point? Would Heyward stayed in Utah as they'd been more competitive? 

 

In some ways this does revert back to the Heat, but I view what Durant did (going to a team that beat him and already was a winner) as a bit different. 

 

I'm still kind of shocked that the talented Western Conf players haven't moved to the East. Chris Paul going to a EC team would have likely vaulted whatever team that was into the top 3 and easily made them a favorite for the ECF. I get that the Rockets opportunity was great and all...

[mweb08]

It's actually fascinating to think about how much GS has changed the landscape of the NBA and Free Agency at large and I think it's completely fair to think of it in the context of Lebron. 

 

If KD stays in OKC (I still think he's a loser for going to the team that beat him in the playoffs just one year before, but whatever) the league stays pretty balanced. Does Paul stay in LAC at that point? Would Heyward stayed in Utah as they'd been more competitive? 

 

In some ways this does revert back to the Heat, but I view what Durant did (going to a team that beat him and already was a winner) as a bit different. 

 

I'm still kind of shocked that the talented Western Conf players haven't moved to the East. Chris Paul going to a EC team would have likely vaulted whatever team that was into the top 3 and easily made them a favorite for the ECF. I get that the Rockets opportunity was great and all...

 

Well what East teams could Paul have gone to?

 

Actually, if Kyrie had made this trade demand at a more reasonable time, Cleveland would have been a logical landing spot for CP3. They could have included Kyrie in a sign and trade and got back more with it (maybe Thompson goes to LAC with Jordan and a pick or two coming back to CLE). Or another team or two could have been involved in a deal that saw Love go to Denver or somewhere and Paul and another asset or two (and/or CLE unloading an undesirable contract or two).

[mweb08]

I'm of course very interested to see what comes of this trade demand. Depending on what direction Cleveland wants to go with it (boy it would be nice if they had a GM), they could actually use this to get better.

 

If CLE is still all in for a title, maybe they can try to deal Kyrie and Love for players that specifically match-up well against the Warriors. Love and Irving are defensive problems against the Warriors, but if Cleveland can add some good defensive swing-men / point guards that can hit 3's and do some other things on offense, that could actually give them a better chance against Golden State.

 

I'm not sure what the best course of action would be at this moment to achieve that, but if there was a time machine...

 

Kyrie's timing really screws Cleveland. With Kyrie on the table at the beginning of the off-season along with Love, the Cavs could have likely landed Butler or George and CP3, plus maybe another asset or two / upgrading on Frye and/or Korver. 

 

Something like this may have been possible (Griffin as the GM would have been helpful too):

 

Chris Paul

JR Smith

Paul George 

LeBron 

Thompson or even DeAndre Jordan

 

Shumpert

Osman

Jeff Green

 

Then they might get a backup big in one of the trades or sign a guy on the cheap in this depressed market for bigs, and maybe upgrade in the trades from Frye and/or Korver. Otherwise they are in the mix too. 

[mweb08]

Another interesting thing Cleveland could do would be to say screw it and trade LeBron (they would need his permission) along with Kyrie, Love, and Thompson if he has any value. They could bring in some serious long-term assets with a combination of very good young players and picks. 

[Cisc-O's]

Yeah I think they end up with Melo and a few number ones. I wish the Wiz could get on as a third team and unload a bad contract lol.


Edit I know I am ruining it but I think it's hilarious how everyone is just straight ignoring one poster.