Kyrie Irving and his trade rumors have erupted onto the scene this offseason and here’s what his former general manager, David Griffin, said about them.
Former Cavaliers’ general manager, David Griffin, sadly did not see his contract renewed, but regardless of his position in Cleveland, there probably is not too many people that know Kyrie Irving better than Griffin. Griffin has been either the general manager or the vice president of basketball operations for the Cavaliers since 2010; Irving was drafted by the Cavaliers in 2011.
The past couple days have been quiet around Cleveland except for the Kyrie Irving trade rumors. With that said, everyone connected to Cleveland likes to give their input on why Kyrie wanted out, but David Griffin’s wisdom showed through when he said this about Irving.
According to Yahoo! Sports, David Griffin said this about Irving’s request:
"“I think what Ron was saying is really unfair to Kyrie,” said Griffin. “This is a guy who handled the situation exactly like he was supposed to. He went to Dan Gilbert privately, told him that he thought he would be happier somewhere else. The absolute worst thing this guy could’ve done is pretend to be all in and sink the ship from within. Most guys don’t have the courage to do what he did. That’s not youth and ignorance. That’s a little bit more courage than people give him credit for.”"
When referring to Ron, in the first sentence, Griffin was talking about former Cavaliers’ point guard Ron Harper who spoke out in the opposite light about Irving. But, in the end, Griffin is right. Requesting a trade from a team that has made three straight Finals is courageous.
Superstar point guards like Damian Lillard don’t even understand why Irving wants out, and John Wall said that it’s “crazy to me.” Irving has created chaos among the basketball world, and a blockbuster trade could land him as the man on a team, exactly what he wants. Irving has been the hottest offseason topic, and many expect some deal to be finalized before training camp gets under way.
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Irving, who had his best statistical year last season, averaged 25.2 points per game. The 25-year-old might be ready to take the next step into superstardom. Whether it be in Denver, Phoenix or any NBA team, Cavalier fans should be happy about the six years Irving spent with the organization.