Here’s ESPN.com on what would be a very sad day for the Cleveland Cavaliers, should Kyrie Irving someday decide to hit the road for good:
If Kyrie Irving truly wants to be on a different team next season he can probably make it happen.
The Cleveland Cavaliers will offer Irving a maximum contract extension once they’re allowed to on July 1, and if he hasn’t signed it by October, the team will likely be forced to trade him before the Oct. 31 deadline for third-year players to extend their contracts.
The Cavs aren’t without leverage. They can match any deal offered if Irving hits restricted free agency in the summer of 2015, and they control his rights through summer 2016. Waiting out that period would cost Irving millions, not to mention open himself up to losing it all should some unforeseen major injury occur. For these reasons, no player in Irving’s position has ever declined to a sign a maximum contract offer.
But the scars of LeBron James’ departure four years ago are far from healed, and they’re certainly going to affect the way the club and its current star player handle their future together.
