Big Trouble in Little Cleveland
Where did it all go wrong for Kyrie Irving and his seemingly inevitable divorce with the Cavaliers?

Shockwaves were sent throughout the NBA world in the summer of 2010 when LeBron James announced in his controversial decision better know as “The Decision” that he would be taking his talents to South Beach to join Dwyane Wade, Chris Bosh, and the Miami Heat. The hometown kid was moving on with aspirations of finally achieving a championship. Shortly after LeBron’s pronouncement, Cavaliers owner Dan Gilbert, riddled with frustration, wrote a letter addressing the city of Cleveland and claiming that he would bring a title to the city that so desperately craved a championship before LeBron would win one for himself in Miami.
One year later, LeBron and the Heat lost in the 2011 NBA Finals against Dirk Nowitzki and the Dallas Mavericks and the Cleveland Cavaliers, with the second worst record in the NBA, were headed to the opposite end of the spectrum, the NBA draft lottery.
Enter Kyrie Irving, point guard from Duke University, and the first overall pick in the 2011 NBA Draft. With a dazzling skillset reminiscent of Allen Iverson, consisting of killer crossovers and clutch shots, the Cavaliers brought an exciting player into their lineup who would be there for years to come. Irving would do just that, gaining Rookie of the Year honors as well as his first All-Star team selection in 2013.
These individual accolades still weren’t enough for Cleveland. From 2011 to 2014, Irving and the Cavaliers only wound up winning a measly 78 of 230 total games, with Irving missing parts of those seasons with miscellaneous injuries. In that three-year stretch, the Cavaliers didn’t even see the playoffs, throwing Dan Gilbert and his ownership group into ridicule and embarrassment. While all of this turmoil was unfolding in Northern Ohio, LeBron James won 2 NBA Championships with the Miami Heat. LeBron accomplished what he wanted when he made the infamous decision to join the Heat in 2010, but the question still loomed regarding a potential return to Cleveland.
By the start of the 2014 NBA free agency period, LeBron opted out of his contract with the Heat, causing rumors to rumble of a possible return to Cleveland where he could finally give his hometown a championship that they had patiently waited for. With Irving and other members of the Cavaliers roster showing promise, LeBron decided to return home and promise the city of Cleveland a championship.
Although the Cavaliers lost the 2015 NBA Finals against Stephen Curry and the Golden State Warriors due to an injury-riddled roster that plagued All-Stars Kyrie Irving and Kevin Love, they still believed they could come back and gain redemption. They did just that. After coming back from being down 3–1 in the 2016 NBA Finals, Game 7 proved to be one of the most important games in Kyrie Irving’s career with undoubtedly one of the most clutch shots in NBA history.
Believeland lived on. The city of Cleveland had finally been blessed with a championship after decades of humiliation by the sports world. With a sense of confidence brewing, the Cavaliers were back at it again with a rematch against the Warriors in 2017, only this time, the Warriors’ roster included Kevin Durant. After failing to defeat the Warriors, the Cavaliers slowly began imploding internally during the offseason. After mutually parting ways with general manager David Griffin, the Cavaliers lost out on making trades for highly coveted All-Stars Jimmy Butler and Paul George. With reports citing that LeBron is becoming ‘frustrated’ with the Cavaliers’ lack of moves this offseason, rumors once again emerged whether he would leave Cleveland for a second time.
But the biggest surprise happened just recently. It was reported first by Brian Windhorst of ESPN that Kyrie Irving spoke to Dan Gilbert last week in regards to asking him for a trade out of Cleveland. Similar to “The Decision,” but to a lesser degree, this news also sent shock throughout NBA circles, leading everyone to speculate what is really going on with Dan Gilbert, the players, and the Cavaliers front office. Throwback to this video and it’s hard not to feel bad for this kid now.
There are many factors that could contribute to Kyrie asking for a trade. With rumors circulating of LeBron leaving Cleveland next year to join the Los Angeles Lakers, Kyrie may not want to be in town when the Cavaliers are back to what they were before LeBron joined the franchise. Kyrie wants to be the focal point of a franchise and he could do just that in Cleveland, but is it really the most logical route to go? Cleveland has exhausted all of their assets from draft picks to cap space. Their financial stability is in in the hands of Iman Shumpert, Tristan Thompson, and JR Smith, neither of who are able to push the needle and lead a team to a championship in the long- term. The Cavaliers went all in this past season, using their draft picks to trade for role players, including spot up three-point shooter, Kyle Korver.
Kyrie Irving has expressed interest in joining the Miami Heat, Minnesota Timberwolves, New York Knicks, and the San Antonio Spurs. These could all prove to be great landing spots for Irving, but the problem for Irving is if he would really help a team come together for a playoff push, which wasn’t evident prior to LeBron’s arrival in Cleveland.
What is certain is that Cleveland needs to be prepared if LeBron possibly leaves in 2018. They are in financial turmoil right now and need to find ways to either gain assets or continue contending for a championship by recruiting players like Carmelo Anthony, who has expressed interest in joining the Cavaliers via trade. The Eastern conference is still the easiest path for LeBron and the Cavaliers to reach the NBA Finals, and that can still be accomplished if Kyrie Irving is traded.
Whether or not Kyrie Irving’s request to be traded will be honored, this NBA offseason has been a blessing for fans that had to suffer through a mundane 2017 regualr and postseason. All in all, I am sure all of us can still express the same advice for Irving as Marcus Morris did on Twitter.

