Kyrie Irving is no longer a Cleveland Cavalier and by now - this is already old news for almost every NBA fan. But nevertheless, this move has probably been, and still is, the most talked about topic around the NBA this offseason. Irving's trade from the Cavaliers to the Celtics was one of the biggest trades in recent NBA history and it caught many by surprise. Nobody expected Kyrie Irving to request a trade from Cleveland earlier this past summer, especially considering all the success he had with the Cavaliers over the past three seasons.
The Cavaliers drafted Irving as the first overall pick in the 2011 NBA Draft, and in 2016 Irving helped the Cavs win their first ever NBA title.
Just one year after that, the 25-year-old point guard requested a trade as he reportedly stated that he wanted to be the focal point on a new team. His wish was granted weeks later, as he was traded to the Boston Celtics, and now it's time for the Cavaliers and Irving to move on.
Shumpert has no hard feelings toward Irving
One of the Cavaliers players that was really close with Irving, on and off the court, is Iman Shumpert. Shumpert joined the Cavaliers in 2014 and he and Irving were teammates for three seasons in Cleveland. Just one day before Irving was traded to Boston, he and Shumpert were seen playing together on the same team in a pickup game in Atlanta. They developed a strong friendship over the past three seasons, and it seems that Shumpert realizes that Irving's trade is "all business."
"It was one of those things, Kyrie and the team they worked out what they worked out.
At the end of the day, we’re all men and it’s all business,” said Shumpert following the Kyrie Irving trade. He also went on to say that he has no issue with Kyrie's departure: "There’s no hard feelings. Ky’s a regular dude. He’s going to compete and he knows we’re going to be out looking for him when we play Boston.
It’s all fine.”
Will Shump himself be traded?
There were many reports this offseason about a potential Iman Shumpert trade also. He was linked with several teams, including the New Orleans Pelicans, but no deal has been made yet. The Cavaliers reportedly offered Shumpert and Brooklyn's 2017 first-round pick in exchange for DeMarcus Cousins, but the Pelicans rejected the offer.
The 27-year--old Shumpert is still considered as an above-average defender in the NBA, and last season with the Cavs he averaged 7.5 points and 2.9 rebounds per game while shooting 41 percent from the field. There are a lot of teams in the NBA that could use the services of the 6-foot-5 shooting guard, but for now, he remains in Cleveland.
