Dan Gilbert expects Kyrie Irving to be with the Cleveland Cavaliers when training camp commences. That seemed to be an ultra-safe statement from the Cavs’ majority owner on the drama that has hounded the team’s offseason since Irving requested to be traded from Cleveland.
But according to Joe Vardon of Cleveland.com, there could have been a different narrative, easily, had the Phoenix Suns actually extended a package that was previously rumored. The pieces Cleveland would have gotten for Irving were supposed to be Eric Bledsoe, Josh Jackson, and a future first round pick.
“If that deal for Irving was there, it’d be done by now,” a league source told Cleveland.com’s Joe Vardon.
A price that Phoenix found too steep for the services of a three-time All-Star with multiple finals appearance, which resulted in one championship at that, who hasn’t even reached his prime years. The Cavs aren’t expected to settle when they’re giving away a talent such as Kyrie Irving.
As it appears, Phoenix is incredibly high on this year’s fourth overall pick, who was also earlier believed to be in the running to become the top selection in the draft. Whether those talks were pure smokescreen, they did not come out as something that only LaVar Ball would have the guts to speak of, so it must have a bit of sense which speaks a lot about Jackson.
The troubling saga centered on Kyrie Irving drags on for the Cavaliers, but the Suns aren’t out of the equation since they have a treasure chest of young assets to throw in. But with almost 19 teams in competition with Phoenix for Irving, they might just have to roll the dice soon.
