Kyrie Irving is embracing the “Mamba Mentality” to its full extent for better or worse this summer as he has requested a trade from the Cavaliers and away from LeBron James.
Irving, according to reports (if you want to fully believe them), is tired of playing in LeBron’s shadow and under his rules and is eager to strike out on his own as the lead face of a franchise to see how successful he can be.
Irving gave a list of four teams he would like to be traded to: San Antonio, Miami, Minnesota and New York.
There is one option on the that list where he has the potential or opportunity to become the biggest star in the sport and on a magnitude he couldn’t reach almost anywhere else if he were able to return the franchise to prominence, I am talking about the New York Knicks of course.
Irving seemingly is aware of this and the fact that it is close to his hometown (he grew up in New Jersey) makes it even more appealing for him to head to the Big Apple, according to Pablo Torre of ESPN.
“I got a phone call, and the voice on the other end of that phone call is a trustworthy person. And he was saying to me that Kyrie Irving very badly wants to be a New York Knick. Kyrie Irving wants to come home.”
Who’s to say this “source” is really accurate and that the a departure to the Knicks has really been the play for Irving the whole time, but at this point it just doesn’t seem realistic.
Irving has minimal leverage with two years on his contract and the Knicks won’t give up Porzingis in a deal for Irving.
That leaves only one other option on the Knicks roster currently with any real value and that is Carmelo Anthony, who has stated repeatedly his desire to be a Houston Rocket. The Cavaliers also don’t seem hell bent on attempting to acquire Melo from the Knicks either.
Irving may be suiting up elsewhere next season, but even if he dreams of being the new face of the Knicks that seems like a dream that won’t come to fruition, at least not in 2017-18.
