Cleveland Cavaliers NBA Trade and Roster Rumors: Kyrie Irving Didn't Talk to Teammates for Days During Playoff Run
Former Cleveland Cavaliers general manager David Griffin may have said that All-Star guard Kyrie Irving handled the situation the right way by approaching owner Dan Gilbert privately to make his trade request, but his attitude during last season's playoff run is currently being called into question.
During an appearance on the "BBall Breakdown" Podcast, ESPN's Dave McMenamin revealed that the Phoenix Suns were reluctant to make a substantial offer for Irving because the team's new vice president, former Cavalier James Jones, witnessed the four-time All-Star actually stopped talking to his teammates for consecutive days in practice.
"It's one thing to say people go through their ups and downs in the regular season, but when you get to the playoffs, the main thing is the main thing, and we're brothers, and we're pulling together to get this thing done," McMenamin said, via Deadspin.
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"Even at that level there were still things that made him sullen or reclusive from his teammates. I'm not so sure Phoenix would be interested in that type of deal," he added.
Well, that would explain why the Suns were hesitant to include prized rookie Josh Jackson in any deal for Irving. According to 1500 ESPN's Darren Wolfson, the Suns were willing to ship combo guard Eric Bledsoe, second-year big man Dragan Bender and the Miami Heat's 2018 first-round pick to the Cavaliers for Irving, but Jackson and budding star Devin Booker were off limits in trade talks.
Apparently, this happened between the first round of the playoffs, when the Cavaliers were facing the Indiana Pacers, and the second-round series against the Toronto Raptors.
Previous reports say Irving was upset when the Cavaliers dangled his name in trade talks for Jimmy Butler and Paul George earlier this offseason, but it seemed his dissatisfaction with the team might have started further back during their playoff run.
