Boston Celtics point guard Kyrie Irving said he’s open to playing with LeBron James again some time in the future. In an interview on “Jimmy Kimmel Live," Irving said that in professional sports, anything can happen. “So you never know,” said Irving, who played with James for three seasons until he demanded a trade in the offseason. Irving has two years remaining in the five-year, $94 million deal that he signed with the Cavaliers in 2014 and he will become an unrestricted free agent in 2020. The possibility of the two superstars playing again together opened when James picked Irving for his All-Star team.
While it is just one game, James’ move was a sign that he’s not harboring any ill-will towards Irving for demanding a trade.
Irving and James worked perfectly together as they led the Cavs to three straight NBA Finals appearances, including an NBA title in 2016. However, Irving approached team owner Dan Gilbert in July and asked for a trade, saying he wanted to be the No. 1 man on a team and not play second fiddle to James. The Cavaliers eventually shipped Irving to the Celtics for Isaiah Thomas, Jae Crowder, Ante Zizic, the Brooklyn Nets’ 2018 first-round pick and a 2020 second-round pick. While the trade has paid dividends for the Celtics, it was the opposite for the Cavaliers as they struggled before the trade deadline.
Cavaliers traded Thomas before deadline
The Cavaliers traded Thomas, Channing Frye and their own 2018 first-round pick to the Lakers for Jordan Clarkson and Larry Nance Jr. The Cavaliers then shipped Derrick Rose and Jae Crowder to the Utah Jazz and Iman Shumpert and a 2020 second-round pick to the Sacramento Kings in a three-team deal that gave them backcourt stability in George Hill and Rodney Hood.
The Cavaliers also shipped veteran Dwyane Wade to the Miami Heat for a heavily-protected second round pick. The Jazz then waived Rose, who said that he will join a new team after the All-Star break.
Cavaliers on a roll since trade deadline
After the trade deadline, the Cavaliers looked rejuvenated, recording three straight wins over the Atlanta Hawks (123-107), Boston Celtics (121-99) and the Oklahoma City Thunder (120-112).
The Cavaliers’ defense also improved dramatically, giving up just 106 points per game compared to 117.6 points before the deadline. Cavaliers head coach Tyronn Lue said the trades changed the team, making them a lot faster. James, for his part, congratulated general manager Koby Altman for making the necessary moves before the deadline. “I think Koby did a heck of a job of understanding what our team needed,” James said.
