Kyrie Irving won this year’s All-Star MVP which propelled him to greater heights and proved to the league that he certainly deserved to be named as the best point guard in the world along with proven stars Chris Paul, Rajon Rondo, Russell Westbrook, Deron Williams and to name a few.
Although the Cleveland Cavaliers control his rights through the summer of 2016, the 21-year-old could get up close and personal with his future this offseason. If he wants to stick around for a long time, he’ll have that option.
“The Cleveland Cavaliers will offer Irving a maximum contract extension once they’re allowed to on July 1,” ESPN.com’s Brian Windhorst reports.
That shouldn’t be surprising to Irving, the closest thing to a superstar this franchise has seen since LeBron James uprooted his talents in 2010.
What’s still a bit mysterious, though, is what Irving will decide to do once that offer arrives. Should he decline, he might effectively be punching his own ticket out of town.
“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,” Windhorst writes.
That’s apparently something the point guard might be open to. Despite public assurances of his satisfaction with his current situation, there may be something brewing behind the scenes.
“It’s no secret that Irving’s camp has been making it known for years now the point guard would like to be elsewhere long term,” Windhorst writes. “No matter how much he denies it.”
Sources of Irving suppose departure
Without knowing who’s saying he wants out, it’s hard to put a lot of stock into the words.
Then again, we don’t have much of a choice based on how little Irving himself has given us.
He’s been pretty noncommittal about his plans, although never so ambiguous as to unnecessarily rile up the Cavs fans.
“I enjoy going out and competing at the highest level for the Cleveland Cavaliers,” Irving said in late January, via Windhorst. “I’m still in my rookie contract and I’m happy to be here. And I’m pretty sure I’m going to be here for a long time.”
That’s as definitive as fans can hope to hear at this point. He’s leading a team desperately searching for a way into the playoff race, so as much as we’d like to think otherwise, there’s a good chance he hasn’t even started weighing his odds with regard to his future yet.
Irving might not be a Cavs lifer, but he might not be on the cusp of a swift exit either.
“It’s almost unheard of for a star coming off of a rookie deal to not re-up for at least a three-year extension and they never take the one-year qualifying offer to become an unrestricted free agent the next summer,” CBS Sports’ Zach Harper noted.
Offseason Plans
While playing through his qualifying offer would give him complete control of his destination, he’d also face the risk of suffering a major injury while on that deal and costing himself the chance at a jackpot payday.
With his star shining bright and the pain from James’ exit still looming over this city, Irving has tremendous leverage.
Hopefully that helps you rest a little easier, Cavs fans. That’s as good as it’s going to get until he puts his name on some dotted line.
“Uncle Drew” attended Duke University and after a season, Irving announced that he would forgo his final three seasons of eligibility and enter the 2011 NBA Draft.
— with reports from BleacherReport.com
