Kyrie Irving Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Ex-Cavs GM Suggests Celtics On Irving’s List

August 8th, 2017 at 5:15pm CST by Joshua Fischman

In an appearance on ESPN’s “The Jump” on Monday (h/t to CSNNE.com), former Cavaliers general manager David Griffin suggested that the Celtics are on Kyrie Irving’s short list of preferred destinations.

Griffin mentioned Brad Stevens and Gregg Popovich as “really good coaching situations” that Irving covets, as well as Irving’s desire to play with “Gordon Hayward in Boston” or “Kawhi Leonard in San Antonio.”

The Spurs had previously been reported as a team on Irving’s list, but this is the first the public is hearing about the Celtics as a desired destination for the disgruntled point guard. Aside from the Spurs, the Knicks, Heat, and Timberwolves were reported by Chris Haynes as Irving’s top choices for landing spots.

While the Celtics certainly have the assets to land Irving, with a trove of draft picks and Marcus Smart, Jaylen Brown, and other desirable players, Danny Ainge has been reluctant to part with these assets in trades for Paul George and Jimmy Butler, which led to the pair being traded elsewhere for far less than the Celtics could have offered.

Furthermore, if the Celtics were to strike a deal for Irving, he and Isaiah Thomas would make for an awkward fit starting in the backcourt, and a particularly troublesome pairing for Boston on defense, with neither point guard known for his defensive prowess. Irving also has reportedly wanted to be the lead guy on his next team, but Thomas is – and would likely continue to be – the Celtics’ franchise player. More likely, in the improbable event that the teams make a trade involving Irving, Thomas would have to head the other way.

Former GM Praises Irving, Expects Trade

August 7th, 2017 at 6:26pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Former Cavaliers GM David Griffin praised All-Star guard Kyrie Irving for the way he approached his trade request during an interview on ESPN’s The Jump show.

Griffin said Irving’s decision to make the request to owner Dan Gilbert in a private meeting took “courage” and was preferable to feigning that he was happy in Cleveland.

“The absolute worst thing this guy could have done was pretend to be all-in and sink the ship from within,” Griffin said on the show. “Most guys don’t have the courage to do what he did.”

Griffin believes Irving will be traded and that it would be better for both sides if that happens.

“I see this as him looking for a fit for himself, to take the next step in his career,” he said. “I think this is a guy who wants to know how good he can be. LeBron (James) casts a very large shadow over an organization.”

Griffin’s comments could be construed as a veiled shot at the organization, since the court of public opinion has taken Irving to task for requesting a trade from the three-time defending Eastern Conference champions. Griffin and Gilbert parted ways right before the June draft when the two sides couldn’t come to an agreement on a contract extension.

Irving’s request was made before Griffin was let go and the former GM was exploring trade options in his final days with the franchise, according to Sam Amico of Amico Hoops. A trade scenario involving the Clippers and Chris Paul was discussed, according to Amico, but those talks proved fruitless and Paul was eventually dealt to the Rockets.

Irving isn’t close to being dealt, sources told Amico.

East Notes: Perry, Nader, Irving

August 6th, 2017 at 7:27pm CST by Austin Kent

In a span of three months, Scott Perry went from being cast aside by a moribund Magic franchise to a sound front office hire for the Knicks. Marc Berman of the New York Post recently wrote about the underdog’s meteoric rise up the executive landscape.

While Perry did little to draw attention to himself under the tutelage of then-Orlando general manager Rob Hennigan, he quickly found himself the executive vice president of a Kings team that desperately needed reinvention.

Perry’s tenure in Sacramento, however, didn’t last. On July 13, three months after leaving the Magic and making a handful of heady decisions for Sacramento, Perry was plucked away from Vlade Divac to be the general manager of the Knicks.

During his brief stint with the Kings, Perry guided the franchise through an impressive draft that yielded the likes De’Aaron Fox, Justin Jackson and Harry Giles. He also landed notable veterans George Hill and Zach Randolph to monitor and mold those youngsters.

“One of the more amazing front-office sagas I can ever remember,” longtime NBA executive Pat Williams told Berman for his in-depth long-read. “Scott’s dismissed in mid-April, within 48 hours he’s talking with Sacramento and ends up hired by the Knicks in probably the most important front-office job in the NBA — GM of the Knicks.”

There’s more from the Eastern Conference:

If Abdel Nader is going to score a long-term role with the Celtics, he’ll need to establish himself as a 3-and-D player, A. Sherrod Blakely of CSN New England writes.
The Knicks are Kyrie Irving‘s first choice, according to Adam Zagoria of ZagsBlog. Irving had previously listed four teams that he’d prefer the Cavaliers trade him to last month, the others being the Timberwolves, Spurs or Heat.
The fact that Pistons general manager Jeff Bower took time aside to work with then-free agent Eric Moreland on his game during summer league influenced his decision to sign a three-year deal with the franchise, Vince Ellis of the Detroit Free Press writes. “I’ve been with like three teams now and they can be down to earth as much as they want but they not about to come out and shoot free throws with you and try to help you and see something you,” Moreland said.

Central Notes: Irving, Drummond, Pritchard

August 4th, 2017 at 7:32pm CST by Austin Kent

Although they didn’t make Cavaliers All-Star Kyrie Irving‘s specifically curated list of preferred destinations, the Suns have come up as a potential landing spot for the disgruntled point guard. Details of a supposed Phoenix offer have come to light, an azcentral report writes.

The Suns are said to have offered the Cavaliers Eric Bledsoe, Dragan Bender and a first-round pick, the article says, attributing the initial report to an ESPN radio station in Minnesota.

It’s not hard to see why the Cavaliers didn’t immediately accept the offer. While Bledsoe is a serviceable veteran guard, his injury history only reduces his already limited value (relative to Irving, that is).

Further, 19-year-old Bender was quite raw during his first NBA season and wouldn’t likely impact the Cavaliers’ chances of contending with the Warriors next season.

There’s more from the Central Division:

After a sinus operation, Pistons center Andre Drummond is breathing easier, sleeping better and growing less tired on the court. Rod Beard of the Detroit News documents the big man’s offseason, noting that the soon-to-be 24-year-old has taken trade rumors to heart.
When the Pacers let Kevin Seraphin go, they freed up more cap space, Bobby Marks of ESPN tweets. His contract would have become guaranteed on August 1.
Although it’s hard to truly gauge the Paul George trade, Pacers president of basketball operations Kevin Pritchard has had a successful offseason since, Gregg Doyel of the Indianapolis Star writes. Unfortunately, he suggests, the franchise may have been better off temporarily bottoming out.

Pistons Have Interest In Kyrie Irving

August 4th, 2017 at 12:05pm CST by Luke Adams

The Pistons are interested in star point guard Kyrie Irving, a person with knowledge of the team’s front office tells Vince Ellis of The Detroit Free Press. As Ellis notes, Detroit’s interest shouldn’t come as a major surprise, considering approximately 20 teams are believed to have inquired with the Cavaliers about Irving.

Pistons head coach and president of basketball operations Stan Van Gundy confirmed that the Pistons have had “some level of conversation” with the Cavs about Irving, Keith Langlois of Pistons.com wrote earlier this week.

In discussing the subject, Langlois says he doesn’t see a logical match between the Pistons and Cavaliers, and Ellis is also skeptical that Irving will land in Detroit. Still, it’s not impossible to envision a package that might interest the Cavaliers.

As Langlois notes, Reggie Jackson or Avery Bradley could make some sense as a point guard replacement for Cleveland, and Tobias Harris may have some appeal to the Cavs. Stanley Johnson, who just recently turned 21, may also be an intriguing long-term piece. The Pistons also still hold all their future first-round picks, and Andre Drummond‘s name has come up in trade rumors multiple times this year.

Although the Pistons could potentially put together a viable trade offer for Irving, it almost certainly wouldn’t be an overwhelming one, so the Cavs will probably look elsewhere unless the other incoming offers for Irving are unimpressive. Nonetheless, it’s worth noting that the Pistons aren’t necessarily satisfied to stand pat with their current roster — particularly if an All-Star caliber player becomes available.

Timberwolves Rumors: Wiggins, Thibodeau, FAs

August 4th, 2017 at 10:28am CST by Luke Adams

The Timberwolves’ trade offer for Kyrie Irving doesn’t include Andrew Wiggins, and that appears unlikely to change. According to Sid Hartman of The Star Tribune, team owner Glen Taylor has “made it clear” that the club intends to lock up Wiggins to a five-year, max extension in the near future. Hartman adds that the former top pick “is not available to anybody in a trade.”

While that news doesn’t come as a huge surprise, it’s hard to imagine the Wolves being putting together a viable package for Irving without including Wiggins, so Minnesota looks to be a long shot to acquire the Cavaliers’ star point guard.

Here’s more from out of Minnesota:

Taylor owns about 70% of the Timberwolves, and while a pair of minority stakeholders are looking to sell their shares in the franchise, that’s not the case for Taylor, as Hartman details. “We have a couple of my limited [owners] that have indicated that they’re going to sell, and we have another limited [owner] that is going to buy them,” Taylor said. “I won’t be selling any of my stock. Whatever I have, I’m keeping.”
Although Taylor would have liked to see the Timberwolves play better in 2016/17, he remains confident in Tom Thibodeau‘s long-term vision for the team, per Hartman. “I brought him in here for the long run,” Taylor said of Thibodeau. “We tried it with the young players, and it appears that we need more experience on the team to get where we want to get. [Thibodeau] is flexible and he’s trying his best to bring in the quality guys we need to get to the championship, so I’m happy.”
Taylor’s sights for 2017/18 are set higher, according to Hartman. “Well, of course we have to get into the playoffs,” Taylor said. “And where we get into … the playoffs is probably very important for us. To get into fourth place so you have home-court advantage would really be the super position.”
The Wolves expect to sign three more players to veteran minimum contracts, according to Taylor, via Hartman. Darren Wolfson of 5 Eyewitness News indicated earlier this week (via Twitter) that the club had a contract offer out to a shooter.

Kyler’s Latest: Irving, Suns, Wolves, Melo, Rockets

August 3rd, 2017 at 10:27am CST by Luke Adams

As we enter the dog days of the NBA offseason, two All-Star trade candidates remain on the block — the Cavaliers and Knicks continue to explore trades involving Kyrie Irving and Carmelo Anthony, respectively. Nothing appears imminent on either front, but Steve Kyler of Basketball Insiders checks in on both situations to see where they stand, so let’s dive in and round up the highlights from Kyler…

The Cavaliers aren’t operating with a sense of urgency to find an Irving deal. One source from a team interested in Irving tells Kyler that Cleveland doesn’t seem to be operating with a deadline when it comes to getting something done. The source described the Cavs as still being in “fact-finding mode” at this point.
The Suns and Timberwolves are viewed as two strong candidates for Irving, but they’ve been reluctant to include Josh Jackson and Andrew Wiggins, respectively, and are unlikely to win out unless they relent on that stance. While Phoenix doesn’t want to move Jackson or Devin Booker, there’s a sense that anyone else on the roster could be had, says Kyler. That may not be enough for the Cavaliers, however.
The “prevailing thought in NBA circles” is that the long-rumored Anthony deal between the Knicks and Rockets isn’t going to happen unless Houston finds a way to improve its offer. As Kyler details, the idea of the Knicks accepting a package made up entirely of players they don’t view as long-term pieces isn’t “appealing or agreeable” to the team’s front office.
The Knicks seem as if they’re willing to bring Anthony to training camp if he doesn’t expand his list of preferred landing spots or if the Rockets don’t improve their offer, according to Kyler, who describes the Carmelo situation as “more like a standoff” than the Cavaliers‘ situation with Irving.

Latest On Kyrie Irving

August 2nd, 2017 at 7:56pm CST by ChrisCrouse

Kyrie Irving doesn’t want to be in Cleveland as long as LeBron James is around, though that doesn’t mean he’s willing to commit long-term to another franchise should the Cavs trade him. According to Terry Pluto of Cleveland.com, Irving, who has two years before he can become a free agent, wants to keep his options open for the summer of 2019. Pluto adds that the former No. 1 overall pick isn’t ready to commit to any team at this point.

While an extension with a new team was never a likely outcome for Irving, the latest news could potentially suppress his trade value. Any team giving up a haul to acquire the point guard would want him around long-term and without that assurance, teams may think twice about mortgaging their futures to bring in the Duke product.

Here’s more from Pluto’s piece on Irving:

The Suns would be willing to deal Eric Bledsoe to the Cavaliers for Irving even if Irving makes no commitment to stay in Phoenix past his current deal. However, they would not want to include Josh Jackson in that scenario.
The Cavs would love to take back Devin Booker in an Irving-to-the-Suns deal, but Phoenix is unlikely to trade Booker since it already told the shooting guard that he wasn’t going anywhere. Phoenix would like to send a package of Bledsoe, T.J. Warren, and Brandon Knight to the Cavs for Irving and additional salary (Iman Shumpert or Channing Frye). That proposal is underwhelming to Cleveland’s front office.
The Nuggets remain a threat to trade for Irving, but Pluto hears that Denver will not give up both Jamal Murray and Gary Harris in a deal. Pluto adds that there are players on Denver’s roster who are attractive to Cleveland and because of that, the Nuggets could be involved in an Irving trade as a third team even if they don’t land the point guard themselves.
If Andrew Wiggins signs an extension with the Wolves, it’s unlikely that he gets dealt to Cleveland, a source tells Pluto.

Knicks Notes: Carmelo, Irving, Sessions

August 1st, 2017 at 5:00pm CST by marksuleymanov

Wielding a no-trade clause, Carmelo Anthony can dictate his future: He can play out the remainder of his contract with the Knicks or waive the NTC in a potential trade elsewhere. The Rockets, who have NBA MVP runner-up James Harden and free agent acquisition Chris Paul in the fold, remain Anthony’s preferred destination, with the Cavaliers no longer a real priority. As Marc Berman of the New York Post writes, Anthony’s preference is handcuffing the Knicks as a potential trade with the Rockets may have too many hurdles to accomplish a trade of Anthony and receiving quality assets in return.

Berman notes that Anthony has yet to publicly speak on the trade rumors, but since he’s scheduled to appear at Coppin State for The Basketball Tournament, Anthony will likely speak in some form soon. Until then, the multiple time All-Star’s mindset is anybody’s guess; the only thing known is the reports citing his desire to play in Houston with his close friends. Even playing for ex-Knicks coach Mike D’Antoni, who Anthony feuded with in New York and now coaches the Rockets, would not be an issue. D’Antoni’s brother, Dan, a former Knicks assistant coach, spoke to the Post about his brother and the Knicks star joining forces again.

“There were a lot of things that went wrong, but Carmelo is a heckuva player,’’ D’Antoni said. “All I’m saying is Mike’s a good person. He understands people change, things change. Two things you can’t deny: Mike’s a helluva coach. Carmelo is a very good player. If those two see eye-to-eye, Mike and I are always optimistic things are meant to be. The next day is going to be better than the day before.”

It’s unclear when and if a trade is consummated this offseason but Anthony will remain a fixture in trade rumors.

Below you can read other news and notes around the Knicks:

In the same piece, Berman notes that the Knicks’ signing of veteran point guard Ramon Sessions last week was because he connects better with Anthony and Kristaps Porzingis better than Derrick Rose did. Sessions is expected to provide a veteran presence and mentor the team’s first round pick, Frank Ntilikina, during the season and be another veteran if Melo stays.
In a separate piece, Berman of the Post profiles Sessions’ career, revealing that the aforementioned Dan D’Antoni lobbied for the team to acquire him a decade ago. A decade into his career, Sessions will bring an unselfishness with the basketball that the team lacked with the score-first mentality of Rose last season.
While Kyrie Irving and his name value would generate excitement in New York City, the Knicks should avoid mortgaging their future to acquire him, Tommy Beer of Basketball Insiders and Dan Favale of Bleacher Report both write in separate articles. The sentiment from both scribes is similar: trading away future first round picks, this year’s first rounder, and current budding star like Willy Hernangomez will only handcuff the team forward. Also, as Beer mentions, Porzingis will likely not pass up a max deal in New York whereas Irving can hit the market in two years and is no sure bet remain with the Knicks if he gets there.

Wolves Not Offering Wiggins For Kyrie, Focused On Extension

August 1st, 2017 at 3:58pm CST by Luke Adams

Details of the Timberwolves’ reported offer for Kyrie Irving aren’t known, but Andrew Wiggins isn’t part of Minnesota’s proposal, according to Darren Wolfson of 5 Eyewitness News (Twitter link). Wolfson adds that for the Wolves to have a real shot at acquiring Irving, their offer would need to include Wiggins “and more.”

The No. 1 overall pick in 2014, Wiggins was initially drafted by the Cavaliers before being sent to Minnesota for Kevin Love, and Sam Amico of Amico Hoops hears that the fourth-year forward wouldn’t be opposed to a return to Cleveland.

However, according to Wolfson (Twitter link), the Cavs would want “something of substance” in addition to Wiggins if they were to send Irving to the Wolves. A deal between the two sides isn’t at all close, and given Minnesota’s reluctance to offer Wiggins – let alone additional pieces – it looks like a long shot at this point.

Assuming Wiggins remains in Minnesota, as expected, there’s a good chance he and the Wolves end up working out a contract extension this offseason. Owner Glen Taylor confirmed over the weekend that the team is discussing a five-year max deal with its young forward, and Wolfson has another update today from Taylor.

According to the Wolves’ owner (Twitter link), Minnesota has formally put an extension offer on the table for Wiggins, whose agent is due to be in town later this month. In the case of a five-year, maximum salary deal, not a lot of negotiating is required, so it sounds as if the two sides have a chance to get something done within the next few weeks.