By now, the news about Kyrie Irving's trade request is old stuff to almost every NBA fan. It was reported last week that Irving wants out of Cleveland, as he no longer wants to play alongside LeBron James. Brian Windhorst of ESPN reported that apparently Irving is tired of playing in LeBron's shadow and he wants a new beginning on a new team. This news seemingly caught LeBron James by surprise, and it was reported that he was blindsided and disappointed to hear that Kyrie wants to be traded. Nobody that follows NBA expected this to happen, but now it seems that it is only a matter of time when will the All-Star point guard be traded.
According to some reports, one of the reasons behind Kyrie Irving's trade request was the uncertainty of where will LeBron James be after the next season.
James in Cleveland for at least one more year
LeBron has two years left on his current contract with the Cavaliers but has the right to opt out of his final year of the deal. This would make him a free-agent in the summer of 2018 and there are many indications that he could leave the Cavaliers again. According to some reports, James would most likely choose to join the Los Angeles Lakers. The Cavs front office is aware of this situation, but there's nothing they can really do about it since James has a no-trade clause in his contract. This clause in LeBron's contract makes it impossible to trade him if he doesn't approve the deal.
ESPN's Chris Haynes reported that, according to multiple ESPN sources, LeBron James will not waive his no-trade clause this summer. This means that he will stay in Cleveland for at least one more year and play with the team during the 2017/2018 season. Only two other players in the NBA right now have the "no-trade" clause in their contracts - Dirk Nowitzki and Carmelo Anthony.
The four-time league MVP is projected to earn $33.2 million for the next season and $35.6 million for the 2018/2019 season. He made it clear that no matter how the situation around Kyrie Irving ends, he will stay in Cavaliers uniform for at least one more season.
ESPN Sources: No matter the discord, the record, with or without Kyrie Irving, LeBron James not waiving his no-trade https://t.co/F8LRyZ42Mv
— Chris Haynes (@ChrisBHaynes) 23. srpnja 2017.
What's next for LeBron, Cavaliers?
James is coming off the best season of his career, at least when it comes to stats.
During the 2016/2017 season with the Cavaliers, he averaged 26.4 points per game and career highs in assists (8.7) and rebounds (8.6 per game). He has already played 14 seasons in the NBA since entering the league in 2003, but he still looks and probably is the best player in the NBA. James is still in his prime but he will turn 33 in December and as we all well know - father time is undefeated. He's at the point of his career where he only cares about winning championships, and it will be interesting to see what will his next move be. Will he stay in Cleveland after 2018, or will he take his talents to another franchise? We'll see.
