Kyrie Irving tells kids he won’t leave Cavs like LeBron... When LeBron James left the Cleveland Cavaliers for the Miami Heat in 2010, the downtrodden Cleveland fanbase was heartbroken. After an abysmal 2010-11 season, they were given another possible franchise savior in the draft, point guard Kyrie Irving. Naturally, Cavs fans are protective of Irving and want assurance he won’t do the same thing LeBron did. One young fan asked him just that question at a community event. Here’s his response: It will be a while before Irving could leave the Cavaliers, even if he wanted to. He has two more seasons remaining on his rookie contract, and next summer he’ll be eligible for an extension. If he keeps up his current level of play, the 2012 Rookie of the Year and 2013 All-Star will be in line for a five-year maximum extension of the type that John Wall and Paul George got this summer, which would keep him locked up through 2020. If he really wanted out of Cleveland, he could simply not sign an extension and sign the qualifying offer in the summer of 2015, which would make him an unrestricted free agent in the 2016 offseason. But that move is almost unheard-of, especially for a star of Irving’s caliber, let alone one who has missed parts of both of his pro seasons with various injuries. Besides, Irving has given no indication that he’s unhappy in Cleveland. He’s been handed the reins of a franchise on the rise with a solid young roster of prospects like Tristan Thompson, Dion Waiters and Anthony Bennett. The Cavs could be a playoff team as soon as this season, and they’ll have the money going forward to add more pieces as Irving and the rest of their young centerpieces reach their primes. Rest assured, Cavs fans. Kyrie Irving isn’t going anywhere.
Posted on: Thu, 10 Oct 2013 13:32:48 +0000
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