Earlier this month, Cleveland Cavaliers All-Star point guard Kyrie Irving requested a trade in a meeting with team owner Dan Gilbert and newly-appointed general manager Koby Altman. Now, nearly two weeks later, both Gilbert and Altman are having a hard time reaching the crafty ball-handler.
According to a report from Jason Lloyd of The Athletic, the Cavs have tried to contact Irving on several occasions, but they have not received a response. One reason for Irving’s lack of communication could be the fact that he has been in Asia for the past few weeks on a promotional tour for Nike. Regardless of where he is on “Flat Earth,” answering a phone call — especially one from your boss — would only take five to ten minutes of time.
Irving, now 25 years of age, has reportedly given the Cavs a list of teams that he would like to be traded to, including the San Antonio Spurs, Miami Heat, New York Knicks, and Minnesota Timberwolves. However, despite earlier rumors of a trade being “inevitable,” Gilbert said Wednesday that he expects to see Irving, who has two years remaining on his contract, in training camp.
In his 72 games played for the Cavs last season, Irving averaged 25.2 points on a career-high 47% shooting from the field (40% from downtown), 5.8 assists, 3.2 rebounds, and 1.2 steals in 34.1 minutes per game. There is no doubt that Uncle Drew has played a major role in Cleveland’s recent success. However, from a player’s perspective, having a teammate onboard who you know doesn’t want to be there creates an obviously tricky situation. For now, hoops fans will just have to wait and see if the Cavs acquiesce to Irving’s demands.