Cleveland Cavaliers News Update: Before Trade Request Leaked, Irving and James Previously Worried About Team's Free Agency Efforts
Before news leaked on Friday about Kyrie Irving's trade request, he and LeBron James were reportedly concerned over the efforts made by the Cleveland Cavaliers during the free agency open season.
This month, a long list of active basketball players went back to the National Basketball Association free agency. This meant that teams should come up with their best offers to shop for the athletes they need to better their performance in the upcoming 2017-18 NBA season.
However, two players from the 2016-17 runner-up team, the Cleveland Cavaliers, think their front office should do better.
Last Tuesday, Irving was asked to comment on the rumors that James was considering transferring to the Los Angeles Lakers and how he thought that could affect the team. He provided an honest insight on what was happening with the team at the time.
Irving told Sports Illustrated: "Like I said, we're in a peculiar place."
"The best thing we can do is handle things with class and professionalism. Obviously we have a great owner that's willing to spend a little money on guys that he believes in. At this point, we just see what happens throughout the summer," the stellar point guard added.
When it comes to the Cavaliers' attitude toward spending money on players, media outlets like NBC Sports agree — the management does not hesitate. However, they might be missing out on a better strategy.
The report noted that while the Cavaliers have re-signed Kyle Korver and Jose Calderon, they skipped a great opportunity to strengthen their defensive end by letting go of the chance to acquire P.J. Tucker and Luc Mbah a Moute.
There were also league sources that claimed James was bothered by the decisions the Cleveland Cavaliers' management made during this offseason. A source told USA Today that James thought it was unwise for Cavaliers owner Dan Gilbert to allow reorganization to happen at a time when the team's officials should be intact and making critical decisions during the offseason.