Tony
Dejak/AP
The Cleveland Cavaliers are mired in a slump and are
reportedly divided in the locker room.
LeBron James is unhappy that the Cavaliers failed to
land Paul George and Eric Bledsoe in offseason trades,
according to ESPN's Brian Windhorst.
ESPN reported in the summer that the Cavs were angry
that the trade fell through.
Had those two deals gone through, it's possible that
the Cavs would be in a better position than they are
now.
The
Cleveland Cavaliers are mired in a slump and imploding like
we've never seen before.
The team is just 3-10 since Christmas, with its defense has
plummeted to worst in the league during that stretch.
Several of Cleveland's most important role players are having
disappointing seasons, and Isaiah Thomas, who was counted upon to
provide a big scoring punch when he returned to the floor from a
hip injury, is clearly still rusty.
Frustrations reportedly spilled over this week, with ESPN
reporting that a
fiery team meeting left the locker room divided and in need
of change.
While the current slump surely is playing into the team's
unhappiness, according to ESPN's Brian Windhorst, some offseason
events may also be affecting LeBron James' current mood. Windhorst said
on Zach Lowe's podcast, "The Lowe Post," that failed
offseason deals for Paul George and Eric Bledsoe have made James
unhappy.
"What's really pissing LeBron off is that he felt that like the
Cavs could have gotten Paul George and Eric Bledsoe. And they
didn't get them," Windhorst said.
These deals have been mentioned before. ESPN reported over the
summer that the
Cavs had a three-way deal involving Kevin Love with the Denver
Nuggets and Indiana Pacers to get George to the Cavs, but
that it fell through. Lowe said the Cavs were still "smarting"
over the failed deal months later.
Additionally, ESPN reported in January that the Cavs had also
discussed a three-team trade with the Phoenix Suns and Pacers
that would have sent Bledsoe to the Cavs. The deal would have
included Irving, and when it fell through, it reportedly
rubbed Irving the wrong way. Irving then requested a trade,
and the Cavs sent him to the Boston Celtics for Isaiah Thomas,
Jae Crowder, Ante Zizic, and the Brooklyn Nets' 2018 first-round
draft pick.
It's unclear if these two trades were tied together or would have
occurred separately, but according to Windhorst, James felt the
Cavs could have had both George and Bledsoe.
"Whether or not having Paul George and Eric Bledsoe would have
made a difference when it really matters, I don't know,"
Windhorst said. "But I know that that's what LeBron thinks about,
because he knows that was on the table and they couldn't execute
back in June."
In addition to Thomas' struggles, Crowder is having perhaps his
worst season since his rookie year. The
Nets' pick was reportedly the key to the deal for the Cavs,
as it could provide a nice safety net if James leaves in free
agency this summer. It also could be a
solid trade piece if the Cavs look for help at the trade
deadline.
Either way, it doesn't appear James is happy. Not only did he
want Bledsoe and George, he reportedly told the Cavs not to trade
Irving after Irving's request, but the Cavs wanted to move on.
As time goes on, it seems more and more like the Cavs' last seven
months could prove to be a watershed moment in the NBA. Coming
off a Finals loss, the Cavs failed to land two star players — one
of whom ended up
joining a super-team in Oklahoma City — and then were forced
to deal one star player to
a rising team in the Eastern Conference. Going forward, how
the Cavs try to turn this season around, and if it'll be enough
to keep LeBron James, could end up shaping the entire NBA.
Source link
No comments:
Post a Comment