Report: Cavaliers floated Irving in trade packages for George, Butler
The Cleveland Cavaliers may have tried to move Kyrie Irving before he asked to be traded.
When the club was trying to acquire either Jimmy Butler or Paul George earlier this offseason, some of the trade packages Cleveland offered included Irving, according to ESPN's Ramona Shelburne, Dave McMenamin, and Brian Windhorst.
The All-Star point guard was upset when he found out about his team's willingness to move him, and it may have come into play in his decision to move on.
ESPN's sources also indicated that the Cavaliers spoke to both the Phoenix Suns and Utah Jazz about serving as a partner in a potential deal with the Indiana Pacers involving George. Phoenix had "serious" conversations about dealing the No. 4 pick in last month's draft and point guard Eric Bledsoe, while Utah's interest in Irving didn't materialize into anything substantial.
It's believed Cleveland agreed to a three-team swap for George before Pacers general manager Kevin Pritchard backed out, and instead sent the premier two-way wing to the Oklahoma City Thunder.
The Cavs also reportedly made an offer to the Chicago Bulls for Butler, but the sides never came close to a deal, and the All-NBA swingman was dealt to the Minnesota Timberwolves on draft day.
If Irving gets his way, he may join Butler in Minny, as the T-Wolves are one of the four teams on his list of preferred trade destinations.
Related - Report: Kyrie first requested trade before draft, wanted to play with Butler