Prop Bets for Potential Kyrie Irving, Cleveland Trade Deals
On July 21, ESPN’s Brian Windhorst broke the news that Kyrie Irving had requested a trade from the Cavaliers two weeks earlier.
In a shocking turn of events for an already intense offseason, Kyrie Irving has requested a trade from the Cleveland Cavaliers.
According to ESPN’s Brian Windhorst, Irving privately requested a trade on July 7. And apparently, he no longer has interest in playing with LeBron James. This comes amidst reports that LeBron James will not waive his no-trade clause as he many speculated he might do.
As part of that request, Irving apparently mentioned the San Antonio Spurs, Minnesota Timberwolves, New York Knicks and Miami Heat as teams of interest.
Cavs Seeking Blockbuster for Kyrie Irving
While nothing is set in stone, the Cavaliers are reportedly acting as if the trade is inevitable. According to ESPN’s Zach Lowe, Cleveland believes they can get a serious return for Irving.
The Cavaliers are projecting confidence they can snare a king’s ransom for Kyrie Irving, and more than that, they are acting — for now — as if a trade is almost inevitable, and that there is little chance of salvaging their relationship with him, according to several sources familiar with the situation.
Cavs, Irving Relations Souring
Initially, the front office hoped the relationship with Irving could be repaired. But that was before his trade demand was leaked to the public. To make matters worse, it’s been reported that Irving’s camp believes LeBron’s people are responsible for the leak. While LeBron’s crew is maintaining their innocence, Irving’s have stated the leak was not their doing.
It seems now that the situation is head south fast. And Cleveland’s new and improved front office — with Koby Altman as incoming GM — is wasting no time in fielding calls. They are reportedly seeking a bundle of assets, including acquiring a blue-chip young player, according to sources across the league.
Aside from Irving’s teams of interest, the Celtics also made an obligatory call to Cleveland letting them know they were interested. Of all the teams, Boston seems to have the edge. They have Isaiah Thomas, Jae Crowder, and a handful of top picks in coming drafts. If the Cavaliers are looking for a King’s Ransom, they might just get it from Danny Ainge. That being said, the Cavs are unlikely to trade their second best player and arguably one of the top fifteen players in the league to their Eastern Conference rival.
Odds Where Irving Ends Up
Courtesy of BetOnline, here are some prop bet odds for where Kyrie is going to end up, as of today, July 24:
- Cavs +100 — When these odds opened on July 21, BetOnline favored Irving to stay with the Cavs at -300.
- ‘Field’ +275
- Knicks +400
- Spurs +1000
- TWolves +1600
Irving was drafted first overall by the Cavs in 2011, a year after LeBron James’ flight to the Miami Heat. He has been a staple in Cleveland’s success before and since LeBron’s return. In six years with the team, he’s averaged 21.6 points, 3.4 rebounds, and 5.6 assists. He is 25 years old. Moreover, he’s coming off a career year that saw him average 25.2 points, 5.8 assists, 3.2 rebounds and 1.2 steals per game.
Now, he believes he’s worthy of stepping out of the shadow of King James. Whether he’ll be blinded by the light remains to be seen. Statistically, the Cavs were horrendous when Irving was in without LeBron. If he wants to contend, he’s going to have to have some strength around him.
So what does the future look like for the Cavs?
Well, Koby Altman is clearly making his presence felt in this move, acting swiftly and confidently in the direction of the future. Adding a couple veterans, a high pick, and a blue-chip young player seems like a solid way to capitalize. No matter what, how Altman and the Cavs play this one may likely impact the next decade of Cleveland basketball.
