The Cleveland Cavaliers continue to make headlines. As it is well documented now, Kyrie Irving requested a trade from the Cavaliers and the news shook up the NBA world. Irving was the first overall pick in the 2011 NBA Draft but apparently he reached a point of his career where he feels like he's ready to move on. Reportedly Kyrie is tired of playing in LeBron James' shadow and wants a fresh start on a new team.
Cavaliers preparing for a future without LeBron
It was also reported that Irving wants to be the focal point on his new team, and he named the San Antonio Spurs as one of his preferred landing spots if he gets traded.
Even though he has two more years on his current contract with the Cavaliers and the Cavs don't have to trade him yet, his value will not be the same next season. Since Kyrie's regarded as one of the best point guards in the league, it's obvious that the Cavaliers want to get good players in return. According to the most recent reports, the Cavaliers would like to get an "elite, young player" in return for Kyrie Irving as LeBron James' future in Cleveland is uncertain.
Irving wants to play for the Spurs
According to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski, Kyrie Irving would like to play for the San Antonio Spurs and he would be ready to commit to a long-term deal with the Spurs. This is good news for the Spurs, as there were reports earlier that the All-Star point-guard wouldn't be prepared to sign a long-term contract extension with his potential new team.
Apparently, Kyrie changed his mind and he sees the Spurs as the perfect fit for him as he would like to play under the tutelage of Gregg Popovich for the rest of his career.
The Spurs would obviously want to have Kyrie Irving, and the combination of him and Kawhi Leonard would be great to see. The Spurs had the second best record last season in the NBA, finishing at the second spot in the Western Conference standings with a 61-21 record.
Adding Kyrie Irving to their roster would improve their chances dramatically next season, but in order to get him they would have to send some good players back to Cleveland.
What would the Cavaliers get?
Getting Kyrie Irving will not be simple at all for the San Antonio Spurs, and in order to acquire him they will most likely have to send multiple players back to Cleveland.
It is believed that the combination of LaMarcus Aldridge, Danny Green and Tony Parker in exchange for Irving would be interesting for the Cavaliers. This would give the Cavaliers the opportunity to compete for the championship again next season, even without Kyrie Irving.
Aldridge is still one of the better low-post scorers in the NBA, even though he didn't play his best basketball last season. He averaged 17.3 points and 7.3 rebounds per game last season with the Spurs. Danny Green averaged 7.3 points per game and shot 38 percent from the three-point line last season. He is one of the best defenders in the league at the shooting guard position.
Tony Parker would bring the necessary experience and championship pedigree to the Cavaliers, and the Cavs would benefit from having him on the roster as well. This trade deal would surely change the landscape of the NBA for many years to come, but it remains to be seen whether or not it happens.
