Kyrie Irving’s request for a trade became public knowledge last week. There have been many reports explaining the motivation behind Irving’s desire to leave the Cleveland Cavaliers, but the reason is still unclear.
On Monday, Irving’s teammate Richard Jefferson spoke about the rumors on his podcast and gave his two cents on Irving’s choice and why he is entitled to it.
Transcription via Carter Rodriguez of Fear the Sword:
Richard Jefferson, finding out about the Kyrie trade report live on the @RoadTrippinPod: pic.twitter.com/WZxS2Tn05G
— Carter Rodríguez (@Carter_Shade) July 24, 2017
As a teammate and veteran on the Cavaliers’ squad, Jefferson knows better than anyone how Irving and the rest of the roster feel about the team’s situation.
As it stands, the Cavaliers are in limbo with increasing reports that LeBron James will leave Cleveland for a second time next summer. Players like Irving may not want to stay on a small-market team that would have to rebuild in order to contend again and are trying to get out before the storm. Add to that the dysfunction following the team despite three straight trips to the Finals including a championship, and it’s easy to see why Irving may want out.
