Per Windhorst: Kyrie asked to be traded last week

[tazzmaniac]

According to ESPN, these are the teams he'd consider:

Miami Heat
San Antonio
New York Knicks
Minnesota Timberwolves

LOL @Knicks being on there. 

Kyrie doesn't have a no trade clause and has 3 more years on his contract so it doesn't really matter what teams he'd consider. 

[ManUp]

If New Orleans was smart they would offer cousins.

[Moranis]

According to ESPN, these are the teams he'd consider:

Miami Heat
San Antonio
New York Knicks
Minnesota Timberwolves

LOL @Knicks being on there. 

Unless the Zinger is on the table, the only team that really makes any sort of sense of those 4 from the Cavs perspective is the Timberwolves (for Wiggins, but they just acquired Teague, so why does Minny do that trade).  The Heat have basically nothing that would be of use to the Cavs, same with the Spurs.

But here is the thing, Irving doesn't have a no trade clause, the Cavs can send him wherever they want.  Phoenix makes some sense.  I think you could make a reasonable argument for Milwaukee (Irving, Smith, Shump for Middleton, Monroe, Delly).

If the Cavs think James is gone no matter what, then trading Irving for young players and trying to dump salary also makes a great deal of sense for Cleveland (Orlando, Philly, Phoenix (non-Bledsoe), Sacramento, etc.).  Then you just take the shot that the young players provide enough with James and Love to make the Finals again and hope GS suffers an injury and you backdoor a title in James' final season in town.

Unless the Cavs are blown away though I don't see why they would trade Irving.  he has a lot of years left, and if he really wants to be the man, he might just have to wait a year and see if James leaves anyway.

[tazzmaniac]

If New Orleans was smart they would offer cousins.

That is what I was thinking but they just locked up Holiday for big bucks and they can't trade him until January.  I'd do Irving and Thompson for Cousins and Holiday if I were Cleveland. 

[td450]

Wow! It seems almost impossible to see how Cleveland doesn't lose LeBron. The big question is whether they are smart enough to do something about it now or not.

Their fans are going to drop some serious hate down on Gilbert. He may as well sell the team.

[tazzmaniac]

According to ESPN, these are the teams he'd consider:

Miami Heat
San Antonio
New York Knicks
Minnesota Timberwolves

LOL @Knicks being on there. 

Unless the Zinger is on the table, the only team that really makes any sort of sense of those 4 from the Cavs perspective is the Timberwolves (for Wiggins, but they just acquired Teague, so why does Minny do that trade).  The Heat have basically nothing that would be of use to the Cavs, same with the Spurs.

But here is the thing, Irving doesn't have a no trade clause, the Cavs can send him wherever they want.  Phoenix makes some sense.  I think you could make a reasonable argument for Milwaukee (Irving, Smith, Shump for Middleton, Monroe, Delly).

If the Cavs think James is gone no matter what, then trading Irving for young players and trying to dump salary also makes a great deal of sense for Cleveland (Orlando, Philly, Phoenix (non-Bledsoe), Sacramento, etc.).  Then you just take the shot that the young players provide enough with James and Love to make the Finals again and hope GS suffers an injury and you backdoor a title in James' final season in town.

Unless the Cavs are blown away though I don't see why they would trade Irving.  he has a lot of years left, and if he really wants to be the man, he might just have to wait a year and see if James leaves anyway.

They'd trade Irving because he doesn't move the needle.  A team with him as their top player isn't contending for squat.  If they can't get a good offer for him now, they should make one more run at the championship and then trade him next offseason. 

[More Banners]

This is why Cleveland needed, and Lebron needs, and has always needed, and has only succeeded when he has had, a good coach.

[coffee425]

Melo for Kyrie would be wild.

Basically puts NYK on a smarter rebuild and they get younger.

Cleveland rolls out LBJ/Love/Melo... an bigger offense to challenge GSW

[celticsclay]

According to ESPN, these are the teams he'd consider:

Miami Heat
San Antonio
New York Knicks
Minnesota Timberwolves

LOL @Knicks being on there. 

Unless the Zinger is on the table, the only team that really makes any sort of sense of those 4 from the Cavs perspective is the Timberwolves (for Wiggins, but they just acquired Teague, so why does Minny do that trade).  The Heat have basically nothing that would be of use to the Cavs, same with the Spurs.

But here is the thing, Irving doesn't have a no trade clause, the Cavs can send him wherever they want.  Phoenix makes some sense.  I think you could make a reasonable argument for Milwaukee (Irving, Smith, Shump for Middleton, Monroe, Delly).

If the Cavs think James is gone no matter what, then trading Irving for young players and trying to dump salary also makes a great deal of sense for Cleveland (Orlando, Philly, Phoenix (non-Bledsoe), Sacramento, etc.).  Then you just take the shot that the young players provide enough with James and Love to make the Finals again and hope GS suffers an injury and you backdoor a title in James' final season in town.

Unless the Cavs are blown away though I don't see why they would trade Irving.  he has a lot of years left, and if he really wants to be the man, he might just have to wait a year and see if James leaves anyway.

Once a player demands a trade it becomes a pretty big distraction to just have them come in and suit up every day and pretend it didn't happen. In some instances across sports teams have even just kept the player away from the team. They will take the best package for him and move on. What doubly sucks for the Cavs right now that is the trade actually lowers Irving's value quite a bit. It shows a ton about his character than being on the cusp of winning a championship he cares more about being than man and his stats than winning. What kind of team wants to take him on? Does Philly feel great worrying if Embiid or Simmons overshadows him? Does Minny want to worry about who becomes their face of the franchise KAT or Butler or Irving? What kind of team does that work on? It is an awful look for Kyrie and something that would have been a million times better not going public.

[celticsclay]

Melo for Kyrie would be wild.

Basically puts NYK on a smarter rebuild and they get younger.

Cleveland rolls out LBJ/Love/Melo... an bigger offense to challenge GSW

The Celtics would crush a Melo/Love/LBJ squad.

[jaketwice]

Melo for Kyrie would be wild.

Basically puts NYK on a smarter rebuild and they get younger.

Cleveland rolls out LBJ/Love/Melo... an bigger offense to challenge GSW

The Celtics would crush a Melo/Love/LBJ squad.

Melo for Kyrie and Channing Frye works on trade machine...

...Lebron as the PG.

[jaketwice]

Melo for Kyrie would be wild.

Basically puts NYK on a smarter rebuild and they get younger.

Cleveland rolls out LBJ/Love/Melo... an bigger offense to challenge GSW

The Celtics would crush a Melo/Love/LBJ squad.

Melo for Kyrie and Channing Frye works on trade machine...

...Lebron as the PG.

Maybe make a hard push for Derrick Rose.

[celticsclay]

Melo for Kyrie would be wild.

Basically puts NYK on a smarter rebuild and they get younger.

Cleveland rolls out LBJ/Love/Melo... an bigger offense to challenge GSW

The Celtics would crush a Melo/Love/LBJ squad.

Melo for Kyrie and Channing Frye works on trade machine...

...Lebron as the PG.

Maybe make a hard push for Derrick Rose.

Christmas in July

[TheBig3]

Melo for Kyrie would be wild.

Basically puts NYK on a smarter rebuild and they get younger.

Cleveland rolls out LBJ/Love/Melo... an bigger offense to challenge GSW

The Celtics would crush a Melo/Love/LBJ squad.

Melo for Kyrie and Channing Frye works on trade machine...

...Lebron as the PG.

Why on earth would Cleveland do this?

They have Kyrie signed for 3 more years - so don't have to trade him
Melo is a shell of himself
After Lebron leaves next year Cleveland will be stuck with an unhappy Melo

If Cleveland does this they are going to want a least one high end younger player and a future #1 at least, and with Irving going to the Knicks they would most likely not hit the lottery.

[tazzmaniac]

According to ESPN, these are the teams he'd consider:

Miami Heat
San Antonio
New York Knicks
Minnesota Timberwolves

LOL @Knicks being on there. 

Unless the Zinger is on the table, the only team that really makes any sort of sense of those 4 from the Cavs perspective is the Timberwolves (for Wiggins, but they just acquired Teague, so why does Minny do that trade).  The Heat have basically nothing that would be of use to the Cavs, same with the Spurs.

But here is the thing, Irving doesn't have a no trade clause, the Cavs can send him wherever they want.  Phoenix makes some sense.  I think you could make a reasonable argument for Milwaukee (Irving, Smith, Shump for Middleton, Monroe, Delly).

If the Cavs think James is gone no matter what, then trading Irving for young players and trying to dump salary also makes a great deal of sense for Cleveland (Orlando, Philly, Phoenix (non-Bledsoe), Sacramento, etc.).  Then you just take the shot that the young players provide enough with James and Love to make the Finals again and hope GS suffers an injury and you backdoor a title in James' final season in town.

Unless the Cavs are blown away though I don't see why they would trade Irving.  he has a lot of years left, and if he really wants to be the man, he might just have to wait a year and see if James leaves anyway.

Once a player demands a trade it becomes a pretty big distraction to just have them come in and suit up every day and pretend it didn't happen. In some instances across sports teams have even just kept the player away from the team. They will take the best package for him and move on. What doubly sucks for the Cavs right now that is the trade actually lowers Irving's value quite a bit. It shows a ton about his character than being on the cusp of winning a championship he cares more about being than man and his stats than winning. What kind of team wants to take him on? Does Philly feel great worrying if Embiid or Simmons overshadows him? Does Minny want to worry about who becomes their face of the franchise KAT or Butler or Irving? What kind of team does that work on? It is an awful look for Kyrie and something that would have been a million times better not going public.

Sixers don't need Irving since they have Fultz on a cheap rookie contract.  Irving for Wiggins makes some sense for the TWolves.  Wiggins will become more expensive than Irving next offseason.  Do they really want to pay Wiggins Max?  Problem is they, like a lot of teams, have committed big bucks to a PG.  I can't recall if the 3 years/57M for Teague is fully guaranteed. 

If Irving really wants to be traded, he should have brought it up before free agency and really before the draft.