Leading into Kyrie Irving's contract extension with the Cleveland Cavaliers, there was all kinds of speculation about whether he might demand a sign and trade, refuse to sign an extension at all, or ask for an opt out after year three. Paul George's contract talks had lingered on into the fall last summer.
And then July 1st struck, and Kyrie Irving quickly agreed to terms with the Cleveland Cavaliers. No drama. No fuss. With Cleveland long term. Acquired by Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports, the contract details make it clear just why Irving was so quick to re-sign:
The terms of Cleveland star point guard Kyrie Irving's five-year, $90 million contract will include an early termination option for the 2019-20 season and a 15 percent trade kicker, league sources told Yahoo Sports.
Now, if the Cavaliers hadn't just signed LeBron James, this might be kind of worrisome. Irving didn't commit to the full five year max. Instead, after year four he can terminate his contract and become a free agent. Fortunately, the extension won't kick in until after this season. So Irving will be under contract for at least the next five seasons in Cleveland. And if LeBron James helps the Cavs build a consistent winner, it's hard to see Kyrie Irving wanting to leave.
Irving could also still qualify for the Rose rule, which would enable him to earn 30% of the salary cap as opposed to 25%. In order to do so, he will have to be voted in as an All-Star starter this season.
The Cavaliers willing to put the Rose rule kicker, as well as an Early Termination Option, made this a deal that would have been nearly impossible for Irving to turn down. Irving and James will be in Cleveland for the foreseeable future.