Raptors Inquired On Kyrie Irving
Appearing on TSN 1050 Radio in Toronto on Tuesday, Raptors GM Bobby Webster was asked if his club has called the Cavaliers about Kyrie Irving. As Josh Lewenberg of TSN tweets, Webster confirmed that the Raptors did reach out to Cleveland to inquire on Irving.
“Definitely. We all do our due diligence,” Webster said. “Things don’t always make sense, but if they do we’re always prepared. That’s a lot of talk that we do — that doesn’t really see the light of day, that happens behind closed doors. So we’re in touch with all the teams and obviously when a player like that becomes available you’d be remiss not to call.”
Webster, who was promoted earlier this summer to replace the departed Jeff Weltman as the Raptors’ new general manager, didn’t suggest that the Raptors’ talks with the Cavaliers went beyond the preliminary or exploratory stages, and I wouldn’t view Toronto as a likely landing spot for Irving.
Having re-signed both Kyle Lowry and DeMar DeRozan to lucrative long-term contracts within the last 14 months, the Raps aren’t in a great position to upend their backcourt, and don’t have the sort of young star the Cavs are reportedly seeking. As Webster suggests, Toronto was probably just doing its due diligence, along with most other teams in the league — a previous report suggested that about 20 teams inquired on Irving.
As we heard earlier today, the Celtics, Nuggets, Suns, and Knicks continue to be viewed as the most viable trade partners for the Cavs, who have their eye on a young player with star potential on each of those clubs.
Kyrie Irving Rumors: Spurs, Celtics, Porzingis
If the Cavaliers had received assurances from LeBron James that he intends to remain with the franchise beyond the 2017/18 season, their approach to a Kyrie Irving trade might be much different, writes ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski. While the Cavs certainly haven’t given up hope of James remaining in Cleveland, the franchise wants to use an Irving trade to protect itself against his possible departure — that means focusing on acquiring a young potential star, rather than targeting veteran help for LeBron.
Initially, the Cavs’ desire in an Irving trade was to acquire young players and picks that could help the team down the road and to get pieces that could help the club contend immediately. However, that kind of massive return may not be available for the star point guard, forcing the Cavaliers to choose one path or the other. And with LeBron unwilling to commit, the Cavs are leaning toward prioritizing long-term pieces over short-term help.
As Wojnarowski details, Josh Jackson (Suns), Jayson Tatum (Celtics), Jamal Murray (Nuggets), and even Kristaps Porzingis (Knicks) are among the young players the Cavaliers have their eye on in trade talks. In his own piece on the situation in Cleveland, Steve Kyler of Basketball Insiders agrees that those four teams – Phoenix, Boston, Denver, and New York – are mentioned most frequently as trade partners, and continue to have discussions with the Cavs.
Here’s plenty more on the Irving situation:
- According to both Wojnarowski and Kyler, teams around the NBA believe that the Cavaliers will ramp up trade talks and get more serious about moving Irving in September, with training camps approaching.
- The Spurs have interest in Irving, but the fact that the Cavs are prioritizing young potential stars over veteran help means Cleveland doesn’t have much interest in the likes of LaMarcus Aldridge, Tony Parker, or Danny Green, says Wojnarowski.
- Although the Cavaliers are intrigued by Tatum, the Celtics have yet to make an official offer for Irving and the two sides haven’t formally discussed this year’s No. 3 overall pick, according to Wojnarowski. Adam Himmelsbach of The Boston Globe adds (via Twitter) that Boston has remained in touch with the Cavs throughout the process.
- The idea of including Porzingis in an Irving offer is currently a “non-starter” for the Knicks, per Wojnarowski. However, Woj adds there may still be some lingering tension between Porzingis and the franchise, and teams are wondering how emphatic the Knicks’ “no” really is — especially if the Cavaliers would be willing to take on Joakim Noah‘s contract.
- Wojnarowski reports that the Bucks have shown interest in Irving. However, with Giannis Antetokounmpo obviously untouchable, Milwaukee may not have a young star who makes sense for the Cavs.
- Although the Clippers have been mentioned as a possible landing spot for Irving, a league source tells Kyler that L.A. doesn’t appear to have the right combination of assets to appeal to the Cavs — a third team would be necessary, and even that may not be enough to make the Clips a serious contender for Irving.
Kyrie Irving Notes: Communication, Future, LeBron
In a somewhat comical yet harsh column, Mike Polk Jr. of Cleveland.com breaks down Kyrie Irving‘s highly publicized trade request as the former NBA champion reportedly wants out of Cleveland. The Cavaliers have been fielding offers for their All-Star point guard but at this juncture, no deal appears close. Polk believes that Irving’s ego is clouding his judgment and could ultimately ruin his legacy.
Irving has notoriously been criticized for his defense, something that, depending on who you ask, stems from his lack of defensive skill or defensive effort. While scoring is not an issue for Irving (25.2 PPG in 2016/17), team’s — at least so far — have not blown the Cavaliers away with offers. Polk opines that Irving’s attitude and limited defense may be scaring off suitors and that alone is a red
However, Irving and James could both be on their way out by the end next season, which could put the Cavaliers in a dire situation. Therefore, fans should embrace their superstar duo and Irving should set aside his desire to “lead a team” in lieu of making possibly one final run at the title, Polk writes. It may be easier said than done, but with three NBA Finals appearances and one title on their combined resume, Irving and James have proven they can be successful together.
Read more Irving-related news tidbits below:
- In another Cleveland.com column, Bud Shaw criticizes Irving for not addressing his trade demand. Instead, Irving is focused on his brand with Shaw citing a recent sneaker release in which Irving collaborated with Kobe Bryant. Irving has been bashed throughout the NBA for wanting to break up a super team to create a core in which he’s the leader. Shaw writes that the Cavaliers’ hope is for Irving to assure interested teams he will not pull a similar stunt in two years when his current deal expires, which should facilitate a deal.
- On a recent edition of The BBall Breakdown Podcast, ESPN reporter Dave McMenamin reported that Irving went several days last postseason without speaking to his Cavaliers teammates. “Phoenix, of course, hired James Jones this offseason,” McMenamin said (via USA Today). He’s been inside that locker room. He’s seen Kyrie Irving – I think I reported this on SportsCenter this week – he saw Kyrie Irving in the playoffs this year – in between the first round when they beat Indiana and the second round when they played Toronto – go consecutive days without speaking to a teammate at practice.” With Irving a seeking a chance to lead, reports of him secluding himself from teammates contradicts his reported intentions.
Western Notes: Irving, Clippers, Parker, Spurs, Smith Jr., Randolph
Kyrie Irving reportedly would like to play for the Clippers, relays Bryan Kalbrosky of Hoops Hype. While speaking with Alex Kennedy on the HoopsHype Podcast, Peter Vecsey said this about Irving:
“He loves L.A. and he’s been working out there a lot this summer. Do they have the assets they get him? I don’t see how. But they also have Jerry West and he’s been able to figure out before … the Lakers didn’t have the assets to get Shaq and he wheeled and dealed and figured out and they got him … he was able to get Kobe for Divac in the draft.”
Vecsey added that Irving does not have leverage and that a trade does not appear doable despite the disgruntled point guard’s reported preference to play for Doc Rivers in Los Angeles.
Here are some more notes from the Western Conference:
- Spurs point guard Tony Parker expects to be back on the court in four to five months, reports Tom Orsborn of MySA.com. “It’s OK. It’s getting better and better,” Parker said regarding his recovery from the left quadriceps injury that cost him the last four games of the second round of the playoffs and the entire Western Conference Finals this past postseason. “I’m starting to run like a little bit. I’m walking pretty well. I think it’s still going to be a long process. It’s still going to take like another four or five months, but I am very happy with the progresses. I am advancing in my rehab.”
- Sean Deveney of SportingNews writes that, despite the Spurs’ fairly quiet offseason thus far, the team could make some bigger moves in 2018. Deveney argues that what the Spurs may have planned down the line could make this offseason, which was marked by a continuation of the status quo, worth it for San Antonio basketball faithful.
- The Mavericks‘ starting point guard position will be up for grabs in training camp, reports Earl K. Sneed of Mavs.com. Mavs president of basketball operations Donnie Nelson further explained that Dennis Smith Jr. must put in the work to earn the job: “Those keys are earned. You know, it’s going to be an interesting training camp. I think Dennis is going to play for one of the best coaches in the NBA. That being said, I think internally you can’t help but be excited by the potential, but he wouldn’t want it any other way. Just knowing the character of Dennis and knowing his family and surrounding structure, he’s going to want to earn those minutes. He’s truly a winner in every sense of the word.”
- Zach Randolph could be banned by the NBA if he is convicted of his felony marijuana charge, writes Ronald Tillery of The Commercial Appeal. Randolph’s former teammate O.J. Mayo was previously banned from the NBA for violating the league’s anti-drug policy.
Pistons Notes: Irving, Jackson, Bradley
It was reported last week that the Pistons have an interest in trading for Kyrie Irving and executive/coach Stan Van Gundy had “some level of conversation” with the Cavs about a deal. Sam Amico of Amico Hoops hears that those trade discussions involved Reggie Jackson, but the trade talks didn’t advance very far. The Suns may be the favorites in the Irving sweepstakes, though Amico adds that if talks between Phoenix and Cleveland break down, the Pistons could be among the teams that new GM Koby Altman turns to next.
Here’s more from Detroit:
- While trading for Irving for will bring excitement to the Detroit, it may not be best for the franchise’s long-term plans, Rod Beard of The Detroit News contends. A deal for Irving would likely see the Pistons part with Stanley Johnson and Andre Drummond. Beard argues that Irving’s unwillingness to commit to any franchise long-term makes trading top talent for the point guard too risky of a proposition.
- Whether or not Avery Bradley re-signs with the Pistons next offseason will determine the team’s long-term future, Beard writes in a separate piece. If Bradley bolts in free agency, the team would have given up Marcus Morris for a one-year rental and let Kentavious Caldwell-Pope leave for nothing. Beard opines that those kinds of moves tend to set franchises back.
Ex-Cavs GM Suggests Celtics On Irving’s List
In an appearance on ESPN’s “The Jump” on Monday (h/t to CSNNE.com), former Cavaliers general manager David Griffin suggested that the Celtics are on Kyrie Irving’s short list of preferred destinations.
Griffin mentioned Brad Stevens and Gregg Popovich as “really good coaching situations” that Irving covets, as well as Irving’s desire to play with “Gordon Hayward in Boston” or “Kawhi Leonard in San Antonio.”
The Spurs had previously been reported as a team on Irving’s list, but this is the first the public is hearing about the Celtics as a desired destination for the disgruntled point guard. Aside from the Spurs, the Knicks, Heat, and Timberwolves were reported by Chris Haynes as Irving’s top choices for landing spots.
While the Celtics certainly have the assets to land Irving, with a trove of draft picks and Marcus Smart, Jaylen Brown, and other desirable players, Danny Ainge has been reluctant to part with these assets in trades for Paul George and Jimmy Butler, which led to the pair being traded elsewhere for far less than the Celtics could have offered.
Furthermore, if the Celtics were to strike a deal for Irving, he and Isaiah Thomas would make for an awkward fit starting in the backcourt, and a particularly troublesome pairing for Boston on defense, with neither point guard known for his defensive prowess. Irving also has reportedly wanted to be the lead guy on his next team, but Thomas is – and would likely continue to be – the Celtics’ franchise player. More likely, in the improbable event that the teams make a trade involving Irving, Thomas would have to head the other way.
Former GM Praises Irving, Expects Trade
Former Cavaliers GM David Griffin praised All-Star guard Kyrie Irving for the way he approached his trade request during an interview on ESPN’s The Jump show.
Griffin said Irving’s decision to make the request to owner Dan Gilbert in a private meeting took “courage” and was preferable to feigning that he was happy in Cleveland.
“The absolute worst thing this guy could have done was pretend to be all-in and sink the ship from within,” Griffin said on the show. “Most guys don’t have the courage to do what he did.”
Griffin believes Irving will be traded and that it would be better for both sides if that happens.
“I see this as him looking for a fit for himself, to take the next step in his career,” he said. “I think this is a guy who wants to know how good he can be. LeBron (James) casts a very large shadow over an organization.”
Griffin’s comments could be construed as a veiled shot at the organization, since the court of public opinion has taken Irving to task for requesting a trade from the three-time defending Eastern Conference champions. Griffin and Gilbert parted ways right before the June draft when the two sides couldn’t come to an agreement on a contract extension.
Irving’s request was made before Griffin was let go and the former GM was exploring trade options in his final days with the franchise, according to Sam Amico of Amico Hoops. A trade scenario involving the Clippers and Chris Paul was discussed, according to Amico, but those talks proved fruitless and Paul was eventually dealt to the Rockets.
Irving isn’t close to being dealt, sources told Amico.
East Notes: Perry, Nader, Irving
In a span of three months, Scott Perry went from being cast aside by a moribund Magic franchise to a sound front office hire for the Knicks. Marc Berman of the New York Post recently wrote about the underdog’s meteoric rise up the executive landscape.
While Perry did little to draw attention to himself under the tutelage of then-Orlando general manager Rob Hennigan, he quickly found himself the executive vice president of a Kings team that desperately needed reinvention.
Perry’s tenure in Sacramento, however, didn’t last. On July 13, three months after leaving the Magic and making a handful of heady decisions for Sacramento, Perry was plucked away from Vlade Divac to be the general manager of the Knicks.
During his brief stint with the Kings, Perry guided the franchise through an impressive draft that yielded the likes De’Aaron Fox, Justin Jackson and Harry Giles. He also landed notable veterans George Hill and Zach Randolph to monitor and mold those youngsters.
“One of the more amazing front-office sagas I can ever remember,” longtime NBA executive Pat Williams told Berman for his in-depth long-read. “Scott’s dismissed in mid-April, within 48 hours he’s talking with Sacramento and ends up hired by the Knicks in probably the most important front-office job in the NBA — GM of the Knicks.”
There’s more from the Eastern Conference:
- If Abdel Nader is going to score a long-term role with the Celtics, he’ll need to establish himself as a 3-and-D player, A. Sherrod Blakely of CSN New England writes.
- The Knicks are Kyrie Irving‘s first choice, according to Adam Zagoria of ZagsBlog. Irving had previously listed four teams that he’d prefer the Cavaliers trade him to last month, the others being the Timberwolves, Spurs or Heat.
- The fact that Pistons general manager Jeff Bower took time aside to work with then-free agent Eric Moreland on his game during summer league influenced his decision to sign a three-year deal with the franchise, Vince Ellis of the Detroit Free Press writes. “I’ve been with like three teams now and they can be down to earth as much as they want but they not about to come out and shoot free throws with you and try to help you and see something you,” Moreland said.
Central Notes: Irving, Drummond, Pritchard
Although they didn’t make Cavaliers All-Star Kyrie Irving‘s specifically curated list of preferred destinations, the Suns have come up as a potential landing spot for the disgruntled point guard. Details of a supposed Phoenix offer have come to light, an azcentral report writes.
The Suns are said to have offered the Cavaliers Eric Bledsoe, Dragan Bender and a first-round pick, the article says, attributing the initial report to an ESPN radio station in Minnesota.
It’s not hard to see why the Cavaliers didn’t immediately accept the offer. While Bledsoe is a serviceable veteran guard, his injury history only reduces his already limited value (relative to Irving, that is).
Further, 19-year-old Bender was quite raw during his first NBA season and wouldn’t likely impact the Cavaliers’ chances of contending with the Warriors next season.
There’s more from the Central Division:
- After a sinus operation, Pistons center Andre Drummond is breathing easier, sleeping better and growing less tired on the court. Rod Beard of the Detroit News documents the big man’s offseason, noting that the soon-to-be 24-year-old has taken trade rumors to heart.
- When the Pacers let Kevin Seraphin go, they freed up more cap space, Bobby Marks of ESPN tweets. His contract would have become guaranteed on August 1.
- Although it’s hard to truly gauge the Paul George trade, Pacers president of basketball operations Kevin Pritchard has had a successful offseason since, Gregg Doyel of the Indianapolis Star writes. Unfortunately, he suggests, the franchise may have been better off temporarily bottoming out.
Pistons Have Interest In Kyrie Irving
The Pistons are interested in star point guard Kyrie Irving, a person with knowledge of the team’s front office tells Vince Ellis of The Detroit Free Press. As Ellis notes, Detroit’s interest shouldn’t come as a major surprise, considering approximately 20 teams are believed to have inquired with the Cavaliers about Irving.
[RELATED: At Least Six Teams Have Made Offers For Irving]
Pistons head coach and president of basketball operations Stan Van Gundy confirmed that the Pistons have had “some level of conversation” with the Cavs about Irving, Keith Langlois of Pistons.com wrote earlier this week.
In discussing the subject, Langlois says he doesn’t see a logical match between the Pistons and Cavaliers, and Ellis is also skeptical that Irving will land in Detroit. Still, it’s not impossible to envision a package that might interest the Cavaliers.
As Langlois notes, Reggie Jackson or Avery Bradley could make some sense as a point guard replacement for Cleveland, and Tobias Harris may have some appeal to the Cavs. Stanley Johnson, who just recently turned 21, may also be an intriguing long-term piece. The Pistons also still hold all their future first-round picks, and Andre Drummond‘s name has come up in trade rumors multiple times this year.
Although the Pistons could potentially put together a viable trade offer for Irving, it almost certainly wouldn’t be an overwhelming one, so the Cavs will probably look elsewhere unless the other incoming offers for Irving are unimpressive. Nonetheless, it’s worth noting that the Pistons aren’t necessarily satisfied to stand pat with their current roster — particularly if an All-Star caliber player becomes available.