Execs downplay Irving trade talk, deny team strife
INDEPENDENCE, Ohio — Cavaliers owner Dan Gilbert spent more than 30 minutes presenting a positive portrait of his franchise on Wednesday.
The reality is 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 AllStar point guard’s request, but he didn’t rule out the possibility Cleveland might deal its secondbest player.
“These things are fluid,” Gilbert said. “We think that Kyrie Irving is one of the best guards in the NBA. … And we value his talent — significantly.” Still ‘a core piece’
Despite several questions about Irving’s status, Gilbert would not provide any specifics about recent conversations with him or his agent. Gilbert said he expected the 25-year-old, whose jumper in Game 7 of the 2016 NBA Finals propelled Cleveland to its first championship since the Browns in 1964, 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.”
While Irving might want out, the Cavs aren’t obligated to move him, and new general manager Koby Altman said Irving remains an important piece for the team.
“He’s a core piece of what we’ve done,” said Altman, who was promoted to full-time GM after filling in when David Griffin left this summer. “Kyrie is a tremendous player. He has made great contributions to this franchise, and we enjoy him as a player. We’re going to keep this stuff in house in terms of what was said in those meetings, but he continues to be a core piece of who we are and what we do.” Summertime drama
It’s been a turbulent summer for the Cavs, who didn’t defend their title and were beaten in five games by Golden State in the Finals. The bumpy ride began with 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.
And while numerous teams got stronger via free agency and trades, Cleveland was hamstrung financially by salary-cap issues.
Then, the Irving trade demand came in like a cannonball into Gilbert’s backyard pool.
“Well, how is your guys’ summer going?” Gilbert said in a light-hearted moment.
Beyond its implications with the Cavs, Irving’s appeal to be traded appears to have damaged his relationship with LeBron James. The stars have taken swipes at each other on social media, and it remains to be seen if they can patch things up. Altman dismissed any rift.
“I think a lot of it has been overblown,” he said. “I think the people who are in this building every day haven’t seen any of that animosity. They play great together on the floor, and a lot of that, I do think, is overblown.”