I get the feeling this Kyrie Irving trade saga is going to carry all the way into training camp and the start of the regular season if a trade even happens at all.
In addition to the Irving’s trade demand getting out in public, which hampers the Cavaliers ability to maximize their return on any Irving trade, and the desired list of teams being reported along with the initial report, now Kyrie Irving reportedly is not ready to commit beyond his current contract at this time to any potential franchise he is traded to according to the Cleveland Plain Dealer.
Here is what Cleveland Plain Dealer Writer Terry Pluto wrote on Wednesday morning:
“I’m told Irving is not about to commit to any team at this point. He has two seasons left on his contract and wants to keep his options open.”
This makes complete sense from Irving’s perspective as he would want some time to feel out his new organization and the situation to see if he is content playing there. Plus holding out for a contract extension for a few years gives him the opportunity to receive a much larger max contract than he could now, especially if he is able to make some All-NBA teams.
Irving can make a max salary of about $25 million with an extension signed in the next year after being acquired by his new team, but if he were to opt out of the final year of his deal in the summer of 2019, he could make an average yearly max salary of up to $38 million, that is a huge difference.
It also makes complete sense that this non-committal nature from Irving coupled with his desire to leave a team that has made three straight NBA Finals and one NBA title, causes some reservations with teams and could lead to them not offering as much as they are capable of offering for Irving in order not to get burned.
There is a huge difference between not committing to signing and not committing to the organization in any matter even verbally over the next couple seasons, that is what teams have to figure out.
Trading for Irving is clearly a risk, but 25-year-old stars aren’t available on the trade market very often and with the right situation it could very well be worth the risk.
