Kyrie Irving Will Have No Regrets If The Cavaliers Trade Him

After spending all summer trying to find a trade for Kevin Love to no avail and rumors peeping throughout the media about Lebron’s potential exit from Cleveland next year, Kyrie Irving, the Big 3 member with the least buzz, ends up being the only one to confirm that he wants out from the Cavaliers. In light of the news, Irving has been put under fire for wanting to leave the side of LeBron James when his production without James on the floor, in terms of winning, has been rather unimpressive. Here’s why Kyrie doesn’t have much to regret if the Cavaliers do end up trading him.
Redemption
The years in Cleveland before James’ return, Kyrie Irving led a mediocre Cavaliers roster to.. not much. In the 2014–15 season immediately following the King’s second coming, the Cavaliers went to the NBA Finals, in which James practically single-handedly took the Golden State Warriors to six games, so most of the credit for bringing the Cavaliers to three straight finals has been given (of course rightfully so) to James. However, the man who has been acknowledged to be the true closer for the Cavaliers and knocked down the single biggest shot in the Cavaliers historic comeback in the 2016 Finals sits largely overlooked. If Kyrie Irving is chosen as the face of another franchise, he has the chance to do something that will never happen as long as he is next to LeBron James: prove that he is capable of carrying a team as the best player. Keep in mind that I said as the best player and not alone. Even if he thinks the world is flat, Kyrie is not dull enough to think that he could win a title as the lone superstar, further proven by the fact that his preferred destinations with the exception of maybe the Miami Heat all have an existing star/superstar.
Championship Tenure
Remember that club that Charles Barkley and, not too long ago, Kevin Durant dreamed of joining but never had the jewelry to do so? Well, Kyrie Irving already has a spot in there and earned it when he showed up in three straight games after Golden State had Cleveland down 3–1. The title of champion stays with Irving forever, and no true fan will ever discredit or spite him for it if he goes to another team. Now, the real question becomes will he ever win another one without LeBron James, and until he leaves the answer might never come. Speaking truthfully, would leaving the Cavaliers really hurt Irving’s title chances by that much? Sure, it will be much harder to get there (1) without the best player in the world on your team and (2) that player now on the opposing side, but as long as the Warriors are around and the Cleveland front office continues to do nothing but sign old veterans, Kyrie’s chances of winning another championship with the Cavaliers is not the greatest.

Jumping Off Before It Sinks
LeBron James, who set the foundation for a superstar leaving to another team, has left Cleveland for Miami and returned both times without much forewarning. For that reason, the possibility of LeBron leaving home another time next year is still on the table and to a lot of people already is the more likely outcome. Of course, staying is an option too, but clearly James did not want to give Dan Gilbert the assurance that he would do so. Unfortunately, Irving did not feel any assurance either, and he of all people knows best what happens to a team when LeBron leaves. Rookie Irving had to play in the shell of the team that LeBron left to ultimately have a losing record, and even the Miami Heat that still had Dwyane Wade experienced a similar effect. If anything, it would be a good look for Irving to opt out of playing in the post-Lebron Cavaliers round two even if he did end up being the star player in that team. He’s an elite scorer who can be a defensive liability, and the last thing he would want is to be left with an old roster of shooters that play sub par defense.
Easy Expectations
Usually it is detrimental to have a reputation for not being able to carry a team on your own, but in this case, it could actually help Irving after a trade. Winning the finals does not have to be guaranteed like it was for Kevin Durant. If he were to stay in the East and outplay a Celtics, Wizards or Raptors team to get to the Eastern Conference Finals or go to the West and advance to the second round, that is all he needs to prove himself. Even as a worst case scenario, he could have a season like Tracy McGrady and blow up the stat sheet and exit in the first round, in which case it might be confirmed that Irving’s role caps as a piece to a championship team and not the focal point. However, remember in 2001 when one Allen Iverson led a Philadelphia 76ers team of no names to the NBA Finals and then lost to an unstoppable Shaq-Kobe Lakers team? That should be the one team that Irving looks at with hope if he wants to be the lone alpha of a team. Given his skill set it is not impossible to imagine a team full of solid defensive players with Irving given the freedom to do as he pleases with the ball having a lot of success.
Closing
Kyrie Irving may never be a player who can carry a team to a championship or even the Finals, but until he leaves, he might never have the opportunity to prove it. I am not denying the possibility for the torch to be passed to him in Cleveland, but is that really his best option if he wants a team for himself. Other than the fans who admire him, there is not anything very enticing about a team that has been built around an aging superstar and does not have any early draft picks lined up for the near future. At the end of the day, it is still up to the Cavaliers organization to make the final decision, but if a trade is made, we should let Irving show us what he can do on the court before we make too many speculations.
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