Kyrie Irving Denies Rumor He Wants to Leave Cavaliers

After just two years in the NBA, Kyrie Irving is already a superstar, the one who has given the Cleveland Cavaliers hope after LeBron’s departure. But according Brandon Tierney of TBD in the AM on CBS Sports Radio, he may be more like LeBron than most people think.

.@BrandonTierney "I've heard from someone in the know… Kyrie Irving not long for Cleveland"

— TBD in the AM (@TBDintheAM) July 18, 2013

Come again? What the hell does “Kyrie Irving not long for Cleveland” mean?

We’re going to assume it means Irving wants out of Cleveland, because what Tierney himself tweeted soon after seems to imply he was reporting just that:

I 100% stand by my position regarding Kyrie Irving and the Cavs. If you follow me, you know I am not reckless when it comes to such items…

— Brandon Tierney (@BrandonTierney) July 18, 2013

So, to be clear, after just two seasons, Irving is sure he wants to make like LeBron and join the Miami Heat.

Alright, I made that last part up. But this is all reeks of premature deja vu anyway. Cleveland may not be a contender, but 1) Irving is entering his third season, so there should be no rush and 2) the Cavs just signed Andrew Bynum, who if healthy, vaults them up the Eastern Conference latter considerably.

Oh, and 3) Cleveland is flush with cap space next summer, when it will have the opportunity to try and convince LeBron to come home.

Though there are no guarantees that Cleveland lands LeBron, or any big name, next summer, it’s difficult for me to envision Kyrie wanting to escape already. Nothing against Tierney either. I’m always hesitant to discredit people I don’t really know. This rumor just seems a bit farfetched is all.

And Irving himself seems to agree. He took to Twitter to deny the rumor, entertaining the idea of becoming a journalist in the process.

I wish I knew "someone in the know" for all my facts, maybe I would go into journalism as well!!

— Kyrie Irving (@KyrieIrving) July 18, 2013

Rumors are rumors

— Kyrie Irving (@KyrieIrving) July 18, 2013

Thanks for clearing that up for us, Kyrie. Rumors are in fact rumors. Just like a blue sky is, indeed, blue.

Rumors, seeming hearsay can hold validity, though. Because Irving denies it doesn’t mean anything. Perhaps he does want out of Cleveland and is just looking to save face. That’s definitely possible—though incredibly doubtful.

Irving will be eligible to sign an extension after this season, at which time he is going to get paid. Handsomely. Players on their rookie deals tend to re-sign with their incumbent team because of how opulent the payday is, and I don’t see Irving being any different.

Aside from the money, Cleveland has also treated him like a God. LeBron is a tough act to follow, but Irving is following it, and the fans and city have embraced him. Not to mention the Cavs have made it clear they want to contend in the near future, and have the financial means to pursue multiple superstars next summer.

Take this rumor for what you want then. Maybe you buy into the fact that Irving was looking down the road five years from now, at which point he wouldn’t want to be in Cleveland. Perhaps that’s it.

Or maybe this is just bogus. Completely untrue.

I’m going with the latter. Not just because Kyrie said so, because it makes sense. And yeah, because Kyrie said so too.