Former Cleveland Cavaliers general manager David Griffin believes that Kyrie Irving handled the trade controversy rather well. However, Griffin still believes that the All-Star guard will be traded. Meanwhile, Michael Beasley is reportedly going to be playing for the New York Knicks next season.
Kyrie handled the debacle in a professional manner - David Griffin
In an interview with ESPN’s The Jump, David Griffin said that he believes Kyrie Irving is going to be traded. While the trade rumors surrounding the All-Star guard are still rampant, the former Cavs general manager is of the opinion that Kyrie Irving handled the situation in a very professional fashion.
Griffin's opinion of Irving's behavior seems in contrast with the statements made by former NBA stars Chauncey Billups and ex-Cav Ron Harper regarding the disgruntled guard.
Early in the offseason, Chauncey Billups was interviewed for Griffin’s old post within the Cavaliers organization. Billups begged off in the middle of the negotiations because he thinks that the “timing isn’t right.” When the news about Kyrie’s trade demand was leaked, Billups said he wasn’t surprised because he “knew so much about the situation that the rest of the world doesn’t know.”
For Ron Harper, however, the ex-Cavalier guard said he doesn’t understand why Kyrie wants to leave a team that has a chance of winning an NBA title.
That being said, Harper wondered whether it was “youth” and “ignorance” that led Kyrie to request a trade. According to reports, Kyrie and his representatives directly talked to Dan Gilbert in private to discuss their options pursuant to the trade request.
However, David Griffin doesn’t think that it is not youth and ignorance that spurred Kyrie's trade request.
According to Griffin, Irving handled the matter the way he was supposed to and privately informed Dan Gilbert about his decision. Irving is reportedly unhappy with his situation with the Cavs, specifically in playing as the number 2 option behind LeBron James. Griffin thinks that the worst thing Irving could have done is to pretend that he is okay with the situation.
The Cleveland Cavaliers received as many as 6 trade offers for Kyrie Irving. The Phoenix Suns remain the favorite to acquire Kyrie Irving. According to reports, Phoenix is offering Eric Bledsoe, Dragan Bender, and Miami’s 2018 first-round pick for Irving. However, the Cavs allegedly want Josh Jackson, Eric Bledsoe and the first-round pick, leaving both teams at an impasse.
Michael Beasley to sign with the New York Knicks
Michael Beasley has averaged 12.6 points and 4.7 rebounds per game during his 9 seasons in the NBA. Most players with statistics like that would be a sought-after free agent. However, Beasley’s case is unique, for better or for worse.
Taken as the number 2 overall pick by the Miami Heat in the 2008 NBA Draft, Beasley has been with 5 different NBA teams.
His last gig was with the Milwaukee Bucks where he averaged 9.4 points and 3.4 rebounds per game. Beasley is expected to carry some of the offensive load for a New York Knicks team that could lose Carmelo Anthony to the Houston Rockets.
If Carmelo Anthony is traded to Houston, Beasley, along with rising star Kristaps Porzingis, would be heavily relied upon to put some points on the board. Signing with the New York Knicks could be the best situation for Beasley at the moment. For New York, Beasley would be a fallback option if Melo were to leave, and a reliable off the bench player if Melo stays.
