What would Kyrie Irving's potential departure mean for the Cavaliers?
Kyrie and Lebron. Digital image. Fansided. King James Gospel, 24 July 2017. Web. 27 July 2017.
3 days ago, Cavaliers' fans were dealt with shocking news that Kyrie Irving wants to get traded from the Cavaliers to another team, preferably the Spurs, Knicks, Heat, or the Wolves. This move comes right after an abysmal offseason for the reigning NBA Eastern Conference Champion, whom pundits thought would make major changes this July. Kyrie Irving later revealed that he wanted to change scenery after not getting enough touches and wished for the special treatment that LeBron James received. Although many people may deem Kyrie as jealous of LeBron's fame, it is quite understandable why Kyrie has these wishes. When Kyrie signed a supermax deal in 2014, he did not expect LeBron James to come to Cleveland and steal his fame. At that time of the deal, he and most of the NBA believed that he would be the man that would lead the Cavaliers as their superstar. But with LeBron's arrival, all that fame vanished.
If the Cavs trade Kyrie Irving, it would initiate the downfall of the Cavaliers. Kyrie Irving is a major piece of the Cavaliers franchise. Without Kyrie playing, the Cavaliers would be left without a reliable and consistent starting point guard. Promptly after Kyrie's trade desire was publicized, Derrick Rose started to garner great amounts of interest from the Cavaliers. If he ends up signing with the Cavaliers, he would most likely be the starting point guard. Rose is a very unreliable and inconsistent point guard that continues to decline after suffering a gruesome knee injury in 2012. This leaves a major void at point guard , arguably the most important position in basketball, for the Cavaliers. The point guard is the playmaker and if a team does not have a reliable point guard it has a very high chance of failing.
Not only would a Kyrie Irving trade create a major void at point guard, but a Kyrie Irving trade would mean that the team chemistry would take a major blow. This is because most players would have to essentially create a new relationship with a point guard that would replace Irving. Many players on the Cavaliers roster have played their entire career with Kyrie as their point guard in Cleveland. If he was to potentially leave, these players would be forced to forge a new relationship with a new point guard. This is particularly difficult to do because creating a new bond takes a lot of work and time. Most players would not be welcoming or not as dependent on the "new guy", if Kyrie leaves.
Overall, Kyrie's departure from the Cavaliers would basically the Cavaliers ordering their own execution. Kyrie is a pivotal player for the Cavaliers and is not one that should be disposed of. Although Kyrie Irving's departure is inevitable, Koby Altman, new Cavaliers GM, should start making the right decisions (on the Cavs' roster) so that they will prepared to make a big splash next offseason, by probably signing a reliable and trustworthy point guard.