The Cleveland Cavaliers were left with little choice but to trade Kyrie Irving, particularly after being made aware that he might refuse to report to training camp if they didn’t.
According to Dave McMenamin of ESPN, the disgruntled point guard had made it clear to the Cavaliers that he would rather skip training camp than open the season with the team.
McMenamin said that the only reason a trade was so long in coming was because owner Dan Gilbert was insistent on acquiring a “big name” in any Irving deal, with Isaiah Thomas proving sufficient.
Ultimately, Cleveland replaced their star with another star, while Irving appears to have gotten what he wanted. It’s probably the best both teams could have hoped for.
