Kyrie Irving Requests Trade; LeBron Blindsided

10:52pm: The Knicks would consider a package involving Carmelo Anthony and future first-round picks, sources tell Ian Begley of ESPN.

4:24pm: Irving has provided a short list of four teams that he would like the Cavaliers to consider dealing with, Chris Haynes of ESPN tweets, although it’s worth noting that he doesn’t have a no trade clause. Those teams, Haynes says, are Knicks, Spurs, Heat and Timberwolves.

3:09pm: Kyrie Irving asked the Cavs to trade him during a meeting with owner Dan Gilbert last week, Brian Windhorst of ESPN.com reports. Irving no longer wants to play alongside LeBron James, as he prefers to be more of the focal point of his team, Windhorst adds.

Irving’s bombshell request just adds to a disjointed offseason for the three-time Eastern Conference champions.

Irving’s agent Jeff Wechsler would not confirm the request to Windhorst’s ESPN colleague Adrian Wojnarowski.

“Kyrie and I had a meeting with Cavs leadership where we discussed many different scenarios in reference to Kyrie and his future with the team,” Wechsler told Wojnarowski. “The basis of those discussions and what went on in those discussions are between the Cavs and us. We are respectfully going to keep those private.”

James was ‘blindsided and disappointed’ by the request, sources told Windhorst. Other members of the team became aware of Irving’s request, Windhorst adds.

Irving, who cannot become a free agent until the summer of 2019, had said in a recent interview that the franchise is “in a peculiar place.” It’s hard to imagine the Cavs dealing their second-best player, but it may not have a choice if the relationship between the team’s two best players is irreparably damaged.

Cleveland has been negotiating a one-year contract with a free agent point guard, Derrick Rose, and will meet with him in the coming days, according to Chris Haynes of ESPN (Twitter link).

Cleveland’s offseason got off to a bad start when Gilbert couldn’t come to an extension agreement with former GM David Griffin.

The Cavs also were unable to add another star like Jimmy Butler or Paul George via a trade this offseason, though they added a few minor reinforcements to their bench.

View Comments (251)