The former Cleveland Cavaliers General Manager, David Griffin, said in a recent interview that he admired how Kyrie Irving handled his wish to be traded to another team. He called Irving’s decision as courageous pointing out that other players do not have the guts to do what he did.
Griffin appeared on “The Jump, ” and he said that he believes Irving will most likely be traded.
Why Griffin thinks it was a courageous move
In a report by SB Nation, Griffin told “The Jump” that the worst thing one could do is to pretend to be “all in and sink the ship from within.” He said that other people who commented negatively on Irving’s trade request, such as the statement of former Cavs player, Ron Harper, who believed the player’s youth and ignorance pushed him to make such decision, should give him more credit for his courage.
Harper said that he did not know what was the reason behind Irving wanting to veer away from the best team in the East. Harper started his career with the Cavs before he went to the Los Angeles Clippers. He was later traded to the Chicago Bulls and finished his career with the Los Angeles Lakers.
Irving recently acknowledged that he did not want to be stuck in a situation where he was unhappy, making it one of the reasons that Griffin thinks what the NBA player did was courageous.
Griffin was one of the reasons why Irving stayed with the Cavs
Irving already wanted to be traded after the Cleveland Cavaliers won their championship during the 2015 to 2016 NBA season. However, Griffin advised him to remain with the team, and it was his relationship with the former Cavs GM that made him stay.
Irving also reportedly signed his extension with the Cavaliers because he believed that LeBron James will no longer return with the team and thought that Gordon Hayward would be the main man.
Experts weigh in
Since Irving requested a trade, experts have weighed in and USA Today reported that after Kevin Durant left Oklahoma City Thunders to join the Golden State Warriors, Irving should have known that making such decision public has its setbacks.
Irving said he would be happier somewhere else and announced the teams he wants to be part of but he has no power over that as Cavs will only trade him to a team that will give them the best deal.
Other experts also said that they are not sure whether Irving will make it without James on his side because Irving’s performance is not too great whenever James is not in the court with him. His value on the trading block also decreased since he requested a trade.