These might be Irving’s last days in Cleveland.
Kyrie Irving only played 11 games for Duke University in his first and only year playing basketball in the NCAA. 11. He averaged 17.5 points, 4 assists and 3 rebounds in those 11 games, hardly statistics to turn your nose up at, but still. Most pro scouts encourage players to take their time playing in the NCAA for their game to develop, but the Cavs knew after–and probably before–those 11 games, that Kyrie Irving would be their #1 pick. They ended up being right about the kid from Jersey, considering he won Rookie of the Year honors in his first year in the NBA, and started in his first All-Star game this past season, but unfortunately, concerning Irving, the Cleveland Cavaliers find themselves in a familiar predicament. The Cavs have the #1 pick in next month’s draft, and they’ll likely be building a franchise around either Andrew Wiggins or Jabari Parker. The New York Daily News is reporting that due to that fact, its unlikely that the Cavs offer Irving a max contract, which is the contract he feels he deserves. In fact, a source from the Cavs reportedly told the NYDN “no” when asked if Irving would be offered said contract. This opens the door to many options, especially the Kyrie Irving/Kobe Bryant/Kevin Love combo that Los Angeles Laker fans have been salivating over for at least the past two NBA seasons. Only time will tell. In the mean time, a reminder–especially for Cleveland fans–of why letting Kyrie Irving go might not be the best idea.
