Cavs expect Kyrie in fold
Cavaliers owner Dan Gilbert yesterday spent more than 30 minutes presenting a positive portrait of his franchise. The reality is that the Cavs are troubled.
In his first public comments since Kyrie Irving asked to be traded, Gilbert would not confirm whether he’ll honor the All-Star guard’s request, but nor would he rule out the possibility that Cleveland may deal its second best player, or if he thinks LeBron James will stay around beyond next season.
“These things are fluid,” Gilbert said. “We think that Kyrie Irving is one of the best guards in the NBA. He was part of a championship, three years straight to the Finals and we value his talent — significantly.”
Despite several direct questions about Irving’s status, Gilbert would not provide specifics about recent conversations with Irving or his agent. Gilbert said he expected the 25-year-old to be at training camp with the team in September.
“Right now Kyrie Irving is under contract with the Cleveland Cavaliers for two or three years, depending on the last year,” Gilbert said. “As of now he’s one of our best players and sure, we expect him to be in camp.”
Beyond its implications with the Cavs, Irving’s appeal to be traded appears to have damaged his relationship with James. The stars have taken swipes at each other with posts on social media, and it remains to be seen if they can patch things up. But new general manager Koby Altman said the reported rift between Irving and James “has been overblown. We have not seen the animosity.”
It’s been turbulent summer for the Cavs, who failed to defend their title and were beaten in five games by Golden State in the Finals. The bumpy ride began with GM David Griffin parting ways with the club over philosophical differences with Gilbert, who was then rebuffed in adding former Pistons guard Chauncey Billups to his front office before opting to promote Altman.
And while numerous teams got stronger via free agency and trades, Cleveland was hamstrung financially by salary-cap issues.
Wall officially re-ups
John Wall signed his $170 million, four-year contract extension that owner Ted Leonsis said provides the Washington Wizards with long-term stability.
Team president Ernie Grunfeld announced the completion of the deal, which Wall first announced in a video posted on Twitter last Friday, saying that he had agreed to the extension that begins in 2019-20 and includes a player option for 2023-24.
Suns ink Williams
The Phoenix Suns signed big man Alan Williams to a three-year, $17 million contract to remain with the club. The restricted free agent agreed to the deal earlier this month. The 24-yearold Williams averaged 7.4 points on 51 percent shooting and 6.2 rebounds in 47 games last season, his second in the NBA. . . .
The Los Angeles Lakers re-signed guard Tyler Ennis, a late-season addition who played his way into a job. LA acquired Ennis from the Houston Rockets on Feb. 23 in a trade for Marcelo Huertas. Ennis appeared in 22 games, averaging 7.7 points and 2.4 assists.