Former No. 1 overall pick Kyrie Irving’s stay in Cleveland may be shorter than Cavaliers fans were hoping.
The Cavs have struggled in each of Irving’s three seasons in the league, and they are disappointing this season despite having higher expectations. Though Irving is still under contract for next season — the Cavs hold a team option for him — he supposedly privately is telling people he wants out.
Here’s what Chad Ford wrote in a chat on ESPN Thursday, so take this as more of a casual statement than an official report:
Virtually every GM in the league believes that Grant will be gone this summer if things don’t get turned around this season. He doesn’t have much time. The thinking is that there’s no way Dan Gilbert is going to let him make another lottery pick if that’s the direction the Cavs end up heading. Grant’s goal (via his owner) is to get this team competitive and into the playoffs. The Deng move was supposed to help. But so far … nothing. Chemistry is a major issue there and some of that is on Mike Brown. But more of it is on the collection of players in Cleveland at the moment. Something has to happen quick. Kyrie Irving has been telling people privately he wants out. Cleveland can’t afford to lose him and LeBron. They know the urgency. I expect them to be major players at the deadline.
Not long after Ford wrote his response about Kyrie wanting out of Cleveland, he clarified and said he thought it was “fairly common knowledge” that Kyrie has been unhappy in Cleveland.
Yeah, I see Twitter is blowing up about what I wrote about Kyrie. Thought that was fairly common knowledge that he’s been unhappy there. Maybe not … Don’t overreact. Much, much harder for players in their rookie contracts to leave. They have to take a much riskier path and essential sign a qualifying offer as a restricted free agent. Very few do it. And the Cavs are working to try to create a winning situation and culture to make him happy. Didn’t report it to say he’s gone. Just trying to show why the Cavs are trying hard to right the ship right now. Back away from the ledge Cavs fans.
This shouldn’t come as a surprise. Think about where the Cavs were entering the season. They had Kyrie going into his third season, added Andrew Bynum, drafted Anthony Bennett, and Dion Waiters was entering his second season. They even traded for Luol Deng this season, but that hasn’t helped.
The Cavs were supposed to be ascending and that was going to help their effort to keep Kyrie. It’s pretty easy to see that if they really don’t improve, Irving will leave when he can.
Also see: Kyrie Irving told young fan he won’t leave Cavs like LeBron did
