With Kyrie Irving now with the Boston Celtics, it seemed that the Cleveland Cavaliers could finally buckle down to business. There are still some issues in the air though most of them are expected after the 2017-18 NBA season.
The first thing that comes to mind is LeBron James. He can walk away (again) from Cleveland and consider joining other teams. The Los Angeles Lakers have been mentioned though nothing official is expected until next summer. The latest word out is that there may be more Cavaliers Jumping Ship after this NBA season.
Did Shumpert request a trade or not?
One player who is allegedly seeking a trade according to Dave McMenamin of ESPN is swingman Iman Shumpert. The 27-year-old player reportedly wants out after this season for reasons yet to be known.
Shumpert’s name has been heard in NBA trade rumors in the past. The Cavs were reportedly in talks with the Minnesota Timberwolves and the Houston Rockets, but nothing really went down. A deal could still happen moving forward with the Cavs likely wanting to free up space by trading away Shumpert and his $10.3 million contracts.
But according to sources gathered by The Vertical, there is no truth to such a request. However, that doesn’t mean that the Cavs will not entertain trade offers looking ahead.
Dismantling the Cavs
With the looming possibility of seeing James and Shumpert moving out, could other players be following? Whatever happened to the case of Kevin Love?
Recall that even before Irving sought a trade, Love was mentioned as the guy who would likely be traded. The buzz on that has settled down thus far. But similar to the case of Shumpert, a deal could be pulled at any point.
Right now, the Cavs would be wise to hold off trading key players with the roster seemingly in disarray. They did get Isaiah Thomas in lieu of Irving though even the 28-year-old’s future could be in question.
Thomas holds a budget-friendly salary for the coming season. The scenario changes after this coming season where I.T.
would be looking to get a max deal. Looking at the players in the mix, any move/s by the Cavs will likely depend on the main guy named James. Will he stay or go?
With the Cavs seemingly falling apart, Shumpert may be looking out for his future. If James jumps ship, other players in the fold will likely follow unless they get a reasonable salary. Aside from that, there is the matter of getting a quality player who can help keep the Cavs at a competitive level.
Right now, it may be too early to tell. Pre-empting the decision of James (and Shumpert) should be taken with a grain of salt for now. The coming season should be interesting, likely an indicator of things to come.
