LeBron James and Kyrie Irving reportedly met up in Florida this past weekend, amid rumors that both players want out of Cleveland.
Earlier this Summer, word got out that Kyrie had requested a trade from the Cavs, partly because he's tired of playing under LeBron's shadow and wants to be "the guy" on another franchise.
Adding more fuel to the fire, ESPN's Stephen A Smith reported his "sources" have literally told him that LeBron "would be tempted" to beat Kyrie Irving's ass if they came face to face right now. LeBron ultimately shut down those rumors on social media but his numerous subtweets and instagram videos seemed to suggest he was taken aback by Kyrie's trade demands.
According to ESPN's Tony Rizzo, the two All-Stars were in the same room this past weekend and not only did nobody got their ass beat, but they didn't get into any heated discussions.
In an appearance on "The Really Big Show," ESPN's Tony Rizzo described the meeting (via Jackson Flickinger of King James Gospel)
"From very reliable sources. Plural. Kyrie and LeBron were in the same room over the weekend in Florida…Apparently these guys were in the same room and here’s the deal. I don’t know if there’s a thawing out process. All I do know is LeBron didn’t punch Kyrie the way Stephen A thought he would. I can report that. As for what they talked about or discussed…it was very cool. They didn’t get into any heated discussions."
That's certainly a positive sign for Cleveland Cavaliers fans but this saga is far from over.
Yesterday afternoon, ESPN NBA insider Chris Sheridan tweeted that an NBA source believes LeBron is 100% leaving Cleveland after this season, citing his unrepairable relationship with Cavs owner, Dan Gilbert
"This will be LeBron's final season in Cleveland. He is 100 percent leaving. Relationship with owners beyond repair."
The Cavs obviously hope they can resign LeBron to a long term deal next Summer, but the organization is certainly preparing as though he's going to leave.
ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski reports,
"As the Cleveland Cavaliers deliberate on deals to move All-Star guard Kyrie Irving, the franchise is operating under a self-prescribed mandate: Presume a future without LeBron James."
"Cleveland isn’t giving up on the possibility of re-signing James next summer, but it is no longer investing blind faith in the hope he will stay. For James, a reluctance to commit comes with an emerging set of complications. Beyond Irving’s decision to ask for a trade, Cleveland has determined that it’s unwilling to simply be reactive to James’ possible departure."
If the meeting between Kyrie and LeBron did anything to mend their relationship, the two should be able to compete for another NBA championship in the 2017-18 season, but it certainly seems like this year will be their last as teammates in Cleveland.