Kyrie Irving may be certain that he wants out of Cleveland, but that does not mean the star point guard has already identified the team with which he wants to spend the remainder of his career.
Terry Pluto of the Cleveland Plain Dealer broke down some of the possible trade scenarios involving Irving. The Phoenix Suns are one team that is interested, but they reportedly want assurances from Irving that he would sign with the team long-term. Apparently Irving is not willing to commit to any team beyond his current contract, which he can opt out of after the 2018-2019 season.
“I’m told Irving is not about to commit to any team at this point,” Pluto wrote. “He has two seasons left on his contract and wants to keep his options open.”
It makes little sense financially for Irving to sign an extension this summer, but interested teams will likely seek a verbal commitment from him. While contending teams might be willing to risk giving up assets for Irving even as a two-year rental, the Cavaliers could get a much bigger return if Irving assures his new team he is not going anywhere.
If Irving plays out his contract and opts out two years from now, he will be eligible to sign a max deal of around $188 million over five years if he re-signs with whichever team he is with at the time or $139 million over four years if he leaves. As Dan Feldman of Pro Basketball Talk outlined, Irving would earn far less by signing an extension sooner.
We know at least one team that Irving would likely be willing to give verbal assurances, but that team may not have enough to swing a deal with Cleveland. Even if Irving is destined to leave the Cavs, the situation does not feel all that close to being resolved.
