Cleveland Cavaliers general manager David Griffin announced recently that no one in his team is immune from trade talks, fueling speculation that Kyrie Irving could be traded in exchange for Rajon Rondo of the Boston Celtics.
According to Chris Haynes of Northeast Ohio Media Group, the Cavs general manager is best known for being aggressive with his tactics. Although he hopes that LeBron James will eventually lead them to a championship victory this season, he has made it known that changes will be made at all costs to achieve that goal, including a potential trade of Irving.
"No one is untouchable, and you're never done building a team, so we're always paying attention to what opportunities are out there," Griffin said. "My tendency is always trying to do what we can do to improve the roster. But I'm not looking to create one so much as paying attention to what I'm hearing."
Griffin has a history of standing behind what he says. According to a Travelers Today article, Griffin was the force that brought All-Star power forward Kevin Love from the Minnesota Timberwolves last summer.
While Griffin might be willing to take a few risks in NBA trading, Renmar Stevenson of RealtyToday thinks that the Cavs have doubts on trading Irving for Rondo, considering that such a trade would send shockwaves across the league.
"Are the Cavaliers really that open to trade Kyrie Irving?" Stevenson wrote. "It has been widely speculated that the Cavaliers might eventually move a shot-happy, ball dominant Irving to finally usher David Blatt's ball movement philosophy."
Stevenson added that having Irving and Rondo switch places could be a good idea for the Cavs. That's because although the Celtics are undecided on what to do with Rondo, he has proven himself on the basketball court, averaging 10.4 points, 8.0 rebounds and 11 assists per game, which may make the point guard an excellent fit at Cleveland.
Haynes thinks that despite the high-level talent on the Cleveland roster, the Cavs are just a few pieces short of meeting outside expectations.
"Fortunately, we're blessed to have a lot of talent, but we're also not blessed with a great depth of defensive talent," Griffin said. "We need to improve in that area. That's probably an area where we may need to act at some point to improve the roster."
Travelers Today noted that while Irving has the potential to become one of the deadliest scorers in the NBA, he doesn't have any experience playing for a championship-oriented team. Irving has faced scrutiny from basketball pundits over his defense and gameplay since joining the Cavs roster in the 2011 Draft.
Haynes cautioned that nothing is set in stone in regards to NBA trades, including the Irving-Rondo possibility.
"When managements explore options for their respective teams, leaks often surface," Haynes wrote. "No matter how serious the dialogue may be, once it hits print and social media, it immediately becomes a trendy topic of discussion."
