Things have quickly become quite complicated around the Cleveland Cavaliers due to All-Star point guard Kyrie Irving demanding a trade.
David Aldridge of NBA.com is now reporting that Irving originally sought to be moved to the Chicago Bulls ahead of the 2017 NBA Draft last month.
Another league source said that Irving made his initial trade request before last month’s Draft, in hopes of being traded to Chicago and playing with All-Star swingman Jimmy Butler….
But Chicago traded Butler to Minnesota on Draft night for a package of guards Kris Dunn and Zach LaVine, and the 7th pick overall in the first round.
It had previously been mentioned in the days ahead of the draft that Jimmy Butler reached out to Irving about possibly playing together in Chicago. The primary reasoning for this scenario was centered around the possibility that he would be stuck in Cleveland if James did decide to leave in free agency next summer.
This was something that Ian Begley of ESPN confirmed on Friday afternoon, reporting that Irving had indeed seriously considered pushing for a move to the Bulls.
At the same time, it is also a reason why the four-time All-Star had the Minnesota Timberwolves on the short list of teams that he desires to traded to in a possible deal, according to Jeff Zillgitt of USA TODAY Sports.
There's a reason Timberwolves are on that list: Jimmy Butler. Bulls would be on the list had Butler not been traded. The two get along. https://t.co/cv7SgRyfAJ
— Jeff Zillgitt (@JeffZillgitt) July 21, 2017
Although his trade demands are just suddenly coming to light, it is clear that he has been unhappy with the developing situation in Cleveland for quite some time. This could inherently mean that much change could be on the horizon with Irving on the move for the first time in his NBA career.
