LeBron James Denies He Wants Kyrie Irving Traded
LeBron James denied on Twitter Tuesday that he wants Kyrie Irving traded.
News surrounding Irving’s reported trade request has made headlines over the last several days. James quote-tweeted a Slam Magazine post that aggregated a Cleveland.com report that said he was ‘eager’ to see his teammate dealt, and made his opinion known. The tweets stand as his first public comments on the matter.
Not so fast.
It’s unclear if James realized Slam was referring to other reports, but, point taken.
According to reports, Irving no longer wants to play second fiddle to James and is looking for a situation in which he can play a more focal role on offense. Windhorst also reported that Irving considered asking for a trade after the Cavaliers won the 2016 title but decided against it.
Even prior to the Irving rumors, there has been speculation that James could leave Cleveland, potentially for the Los Angeles Lakers.
Irving was drafted first overall by the Cavaliers in 2011. For his career, he is averaging 21.6 points, 5.6 assists and 3.4 rebounds. The Cavaliers have played the Golden State Warriors in three consecutive NBA Finals appearances, with the Warriors winning twice, including in 2017.
Irving failed to reach the playoffs in the three years he played for Cleveland before James' arrival in the summer of 2014.
