Report: Cavs player called Ainge a 'f------ thief' for Kyrie trade during slump
It appears at least one Cavaliers player was furious this season about Cleveland dealing Kyrie Irving to the Boston Celtics.
During the team's disastrous winter stretch, the unnamed player reportedly turned to The Athletic's Jason Lloyd and said: "Danny Ainge is a f------ thief."
The comment likely came during a stretch between Christmas Day and Feb. 6, when the Cavs lost 13 of 19 games and fell to 30-22 before tearing the roster apart.
By that point, Irving had led the Celtics to the best record in the East despite missing Gordon Hayward for all but five minutes of the season. As for the players that landed in Cleveland, Isaiah Thomas struggled to reach his All-Star form and Jae Crowder couldn't find his shot.
The Cavaliers eventually dealt both players and landed Jordan Clarkson, Rodney Hood, George Hill, and Larry Nance at the trade deadline - all of which have been ineffective through two playoffs games in Boston.
Cleveland is down 2-0 to the Celtics in the Eastern Conference finals as the series heads back to Ohio.