LOS ANGELES – A report out of Cleveland alleges that Kyrie Irving threatened to have season-ending knee surgery if the Cavaliers did not trade him during the offseason.
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According to the report on Cleveland.com, Irving told Cleveland brass that he would not report to training camp and would then undergo surgery to help alleviate some of the soreness in his left knee stemming from a fractured knee cap injury he suffered in the 2015 NBA Finals.
But of greater significance to the Cavs in that scenario would have been them not having their All-Star point guard or a suitable replacement available.
So rather than take a chance that he might actually go through with it, the Cavs opted to go along with his wishes which led to the trade between Boston and Cleveland which netted the Celtics Irving in exchange for Isaiah Thomas, Jae Crowder, Ante Zizic, along with a 2018 first-round pick via Brooklyn, and a future second round pick via Miami.
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While Irving may undergo a minor surgical procedure this summer on his knee, it certainly hasn’t been an issue with his play this season for the Celtics.
Boston Celtics
The five-time All-Star is averaging 24.5 points per game while shooting a career-best 47.7 percent from the field. While he’s shooting 39.3 percent from 3-point range, his effective field goal percentage is up to a career best .549 this season.