NBA Trade Rumors: LeBron James Tried To Stop Cavaliers From Dealing Kyrie Irving To Celtics

LeBron James led the Cleveland Cavaliers to the 2018 NBA Finals, but any chance the team might’ve had to win a championship essentially ended before the season began when Kyrie Irving was traded to the Boston Celtics. It’s a deal that James hoped wouldn’t happen, and one that he tried to prevent from being completed.

After Irving asked to be traded in the summer of 2017, Boston offered Cleveland a package of Isaiah Thomas, Jae Crowder, Ante Zizic and the Brooklyn Nets’ 2018 first-round draft pick. According to The Athletic’s Joe Vardon, James told Cleveland general manager Koby Altman not to send the star point guard to the Celtics. Cavs’ owner Dan Gilbert reportedly accepted the trade shortly after Altman assured James the deal wouldn’t get done.

“Everyone knows that when Kyrie got traded it was the beginning of the end for everything. It’s not a secret,” James told The Athletic.

The trade was a disaster for Cleveland. A hip injury limited Thomas to just 15 games with the team before both the guard and Crowder were dealt at February's trade deadline. Irving was selected to his fifth All-Star team in six years.

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The news comes on the heels of James’ return to Cleveland. The NBA’s best player will lead the Los Angeles Lakers against the Cavs at Quicken Loans Arena Wednesday night, facing his former team for the first time since signing with L.A. in July.

During his second stint with the Cavs, James led Cleveland to the NBA Finals in all four seasons. The Cavs were defeated by the Golden State Warriors three times. In 2016, James and Irving helped bring the franchise its first-ever championship.

James was the MVP of the 2016 NBA Finals, though it was Irving that made the biggest shot of the series. Irving nailed the go-ahead three-pointer with 53 seconds remaining in Game 7 as Cleveland went on to defeat Golden State 93-89.

Shortly after the Warriors defeated the Cavs in the 2017 NBA Finals, Irving asked for a trade. He was sent to Boston, whom Cleveland had just beaten in the Eastern Conference Finals. The Cavs and Celtics met again in the 2018 conference finals. Cleveland needed seven games to win that series as Irving watched from the bench with a season-ending knee injury.

The Lakers have gotten off to a 9-7 start in James’ first season with the team. The Cavs are an NBA-worst 2-12.