Kyrie Irving recently demanded a trade from Cleveland, and the Cavs are reportedly “starting to engage” with other NBA teams on a possible swap for the All-Star point guard.
.@wojespn: "Cleveland is starting to engage in trade talks to move Kyrie Irving." And more on Rose/CLE here https://t.co/A5j6vyT0NZ
— Zach Lowe (@ZachLowe_NBA) July 26, 2017
The Cavs are said to be upset that Irving’s desire to be moved became public, thereby driving down his trade value.
Derrick Rose was nabbed off the dwindling free agency market as a possible replacement for Irving.
Per ESPN:
Cleveland is starting to engage in trade talks to move All-Star guard Kyrie Irving, and the possibility grows every day that Rose could be afforded a significant role on these Cavaliers. Just a year ago, Rose still believed he could earn a $20 million a year long-term deal, but he accepted a one-year, $2.1 million veteran’s minimum. To regain his footing in the NBA, Rose wanted a real team with real games.
“A one-year deal on a bad team to try and put up numbers — we did not want to entertain that way of thinking,” agent B.J. Armstrong, a three-time NBA champion with the Chicago Bulls, saidon Tuesday. “Getting up every day to go to the gym to just try and put up numbers — that’s not who he is. He didn’t want to chase anything this summer other than, ‘Hey, let’s get around a group of guys who are like-minded, who are pursuing winning and be a part of that.’ “
No one imagined this dramatic of a drop in the marketplace. Eventually, the Lakers wanted Rose to play behind Lonzo Ball, and be a mentor. Rose lives in L.A. in the summers, and loves Southern California, but he didn’t want to imagine another losing season. Once [LeBron] James and coach Ty Lue became involved in the Cleveland conversations, Rose had a better idea about how it would work for him. In the end, the Cavaliers had interest regardless of the Irving circumstances, league sources said.
Related
Report: Karl-Anthony Towns and Jimmy Butler Lobbying for Kyrie Irving Trade
