What if Kyrie Irving does not get traded, and stays with the Cavaliers?

Kyrie Irving demanded a trade from the Cleveland Cavaliers last month, as he wants to be the franchise player and the focal point somewhere else and play away from LeBron’s shadow, but until now the Cavaliers have not made a move. LeBron James is still blindsided and frustrated with the news, posting different tweets about the trade scenarios on Twitter. The Cavaliers, however, have not found the perfect scenario to trade for Kyrie and so he might remain a Cavalier this season. How will he and LeBron co-exist in the same team after the trade scenarios this summer? Will they solve their differences, still be a dynamic duo and reach the NBA Finals once again? 

As we all know, LeBron will not waive his no-trade clause and so his future will be decided in next year’s free agency. Sources close to the superstar claim that he will make the decision after the end of next season. This is really interesting and exciting for the other potential spots for LeBron James that include the Spurs, the Lakers, the Clippers and other teams around the league, who have shown interest in signing LeBron James. According to multiple reports, the Cavs’ main objective is to make LeBron happy, but will not rush to trade for Kyrie, as they want to receive ‘a king’s ransom’ for the 25-year old point guard that will make James happy, and will keep him in a Cavalier uniform after next season. 

If the Cavaliers cannot find the package for him and do not trade Kyrie Irving to another team, they will have to solve the players’ differences inside the locker room, during the training camp and the pre-season. But because they are professionals, both Kyrie and LeBron will solve their differences on and off the court and be one of the most lethal NBA duos for yet another NBA season, reaching the Finals for the fourth straight year. The Cavaliers front office will have to focus however on the next year’s free agency as both Kyrie Irving and LeBron James could possibly want to leave the team, especially if they lose to the Warriors in the 2018 Finals for the third time in four years. So, if he does not get traded, Kyrie Irving will remain a professional, solve his differences with LeBron and respect the situation he’s in. 

Finally, can this situation, drama in Cleveland be compared to the Lakers drama with Shaq and Kobe, or is this situation different? What will happen in Cleveland? Will Kyrie Irving get traded before the start of the 2017-2018 NBA season? What would you do if you were Cleveland?

Can the Warriors build a dynasty that will last years in the NBA?

The Golden State Warriors have won their second title in three years. But can they built a dynasty that will last years in the NBA, like the Jordan Bulls, the Showtime Lakers, or the Celtics? 

After an incredible season last year, going 73-9 and losing to the Cavaliers in Game 7 of the 2016 NBA Finals, the Warriors signed free agent superstar Kevin Durant, and early on this team showed, how unstoppable they can be on both sides of the court. With 67 wins in the regular season, the Warriors had already begun to show the world how they were ready to dominate the playoffs. And that's what they did. Going 16-1 in the playoffs is an all-time achievement, one that's never been done before. LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers gave it everything they got, tried to slow down the firepower of the Warriors but they could not hold on and won only just one game. LeBron James was incredible in the series averaged a triple-double, but in the end, even himself acknowledged this super-team, their talent, their firepower and also stated that they have been the best team for the last three years, and could be the best for more years to come.

Stephen Curry and Kevin Durant were both incredible in the Finals, showcasing their talent, on and off the court and respecting the greatness of their opponents, especially this of James. As LeBron James said in the postgame press conference, the Warriors core are all in their 20s which means they will be coming to the NBA Finals for many more years to come. And this could not have been more right. The Warriors can build an all-time dynasty which could last in the NBA for another four years. They have already gone to three straight NBA Finals, and could very possibly be going to the NBA Finals for the next three to four years. The question is, can they surpass all the talent there is in the Western Conference? The Spurs with Kawhi, the Rockets with Harden and Chris Paul, as well as the Thunder with George and Westbrook. It sure will be an exciting upcoming season in the NBA, as the competition will rise and continue to get better. 

This year, however, the Warriors, one can argue, were a bit lucky; faced the Spurs with no Leonard, the Jazz with no Hill, the Blazers with no Nurkic. The Warriors, however, have the nucleus and the talent to be in the NBA Finals every year for the next four years if they continue to play like they did in the NBA Finals this year. Now, with Chris Paul going to the Rockets, Kawhi emerging as a global superstar and Paul George and Russell Westbrook combining forces at Oklahoma, shows how these teams are doing everything they can to keep up with the Warriors. Despite that, I don't actually believe we've seen the Warriors at their absolute best, with their 'Big 4' simultaneously being all-time great. What if Klay Thompson makes all his shots, together with Steph and Durant? What if Draymond and Klay are locked in defensively, while Durant is unstoppable offensively? In these Finals, the Big 4 was great, but in portions, not together simultaneously in full games. This is why even though there is competition in the West, as the Spurs, the Clippers, the Rockets, the Thunder can be a threat; they don't have the superpower and talent the Warriors have. These four guys were really good in these Finals and showed how they are ready to take on another huge step, and come back and repeat next year. And quite possibly this is exactly what is going to happen. This will turn into one of the all-time great dynasties, that people will talk about in fifty years.

With Kevin Durant, the world's greatest scorer, Steph Curry (top 3 point guard), best shooter on the planet, Klay Thompson, one of the best shooters, Draymond Green, top-2 defensive player in the league, the Warriors' fans have every right to be excited for their nearest future, and hope for more championships to come. This is a team that is writing history and will continue to write history for the years to come. Even after this small run, a time of intense debating will begin, on which team is the greatest team ever. 

By Dionysis Aravantinos / dionysis.aravantinos@gmail.com