Former Cavs GM explains why Irving wants to be traded

Former Cleveland Cavaliers general manager David Griffin worked closely with and had the trust of Kyrie Irving before he was let go, so there are few who could better explain the apparent rift between the point guard and organization.

Griffin appeared on ESPN's "The Jump" on Monday to provide perspective on why Irving wants to be traded away from the Cavaliers.

"This is a guy who handled the situation exactly like he was supposed to," Griffin said. "He went to Dan Gilbert privately, told him he would be happier somewhere elsewhere.

"The absolute worst thing this guy could have done was pretend to be all-in, and sink the ship from within. Most guys don't have the courage to do what he did. That's not youth and ignorance. That's a little bit more courage than what people gave him credit for."

Irving played an instrumental role in helping Cleveland attain its first championship in five decades, but overwhelming success doesn't necessarily mean Irving was happy.

Griffin signed Irving to a five-year deal in 2014 to be the featured player for the Cavaliers, only to be usurped soon after by James' homecoming.

"This is a guy who recruited LeBron (James), (Gordon) Hayward, and a host of free agents when he decided to sign and stay in Cleveland," Griffin said. "And all of a sudden, LeBron came back.

"So he was sold a totally different situation than he's actually in, and he worked very well in, he won a championship in. I see this as him looking for a fit for himself now to take the next step of his career."

Griffin explains Irving simply wants a chance to test his own abilities, a chance he was denied in 2014. That opportunity simply wasn't available if he continued to share the court with James.

"This is a guy who wants to know how good he can be," Griffin said. "LeBron casts a very large shadow over an organization and most of it is really, really positive. You know you're expected to win a championship.

"But what it doesn't always allow is for a player like Kyrie to test his boundaries and see how good he can really be, and, 'Can I actually be the front man for a team like that?'"

Griffin added: "He just wanted to put himself in a position, I think, where to find out exactly what he has as a 25-year-old entering his prime."