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So, something crazy happened this weekend, and we simply watched it unfold on Monday like glorious train wreck. We couldn't stop it because it was insane, but then we couldn't look away either because it was hilarious and absurd.
Peter Vecsey, who is just kind of privately reporting things on Twitter and no longer works for NBA TV or the New York Post, started tweeting about Kyrie Irving. Here are some of the highlights:
Contrary 2 report, reason Cavs won't offer Kyrie max extension: because they know he wouldn't accept & don't want 2 look bad#goinggoinggone
— Peter Vecsey (@PeterVecsey1) May 26, 2014
Now, I'm not sure if this is just him literally guessing or if he's trying to say that he knows something. Maybe he has an agent contact. It's difficult to tell from the way the report is written. But let's just talk about how crazy this line of logic is. The Cavs are afraid to offer Irving an extension because they don't want to get their feelings hurt? Because they think they'll look bad?
Do you know how bad this organization would look if they DIDN'T offer Irving? Do you see how things are playing out in Minnesota with Kevin Love after they didn't offer him the max? Do you see how much crap David Kahn gets regularly for screwing this up (and he doesn't even work there anymore!)?
@Blazer_Duck Not if he doesn't want to re-sign or give Cavs chance to match. U dont think Kyrie wields leverage???
— Peter Vecsey (@PeterVecsey1) May 26, 2014
The fact of the matter is this: Kyrie Irving is tethered to this organization for at least two more years, regardless of whether or not he signs an extension. He'll either become a restricted free agent next offseason, and sign a deal from someone else that the Cavaliers will surely match; sign a qualifying offer next offseason that will force him to be in Cleveland for another year, thereby created a Love-type feeding frenzy that will result in a trade next offseason, or he'll sign the extension at some point in the next year and all of this will be moot. But unless a godfather offer happens this offseason, it's hard to envision a circumstance where the Cavs are forced to deal him before they play their first game next year.
He has leverage, but it's pretty clearly minimal at this specific juncture.
Oh, here's another crazy thing:
@spmcis Maybe Kyrie already informed them, unlike hearing 'decision' on tv. Why do u think they won lottery, beforehand??
— Peter Vecsey (@PeterVecsey1) May 26, 2014
Okay, so now you're saying that the Cavs won the lottery because Kyrie already told them he's not going to sign the extension? Well, at least we know that we shouldn't take this report with any credence whatsoever, considering YOU CAN LITERALLY WATCH THE LOTTERY BALLS BEING PICKED ONLINE. Do you know how crazy that is?
Hey, I respect what Peter Vecsey has done for basketball reporting. He was the first guy to be a national NBA columnist. I grew up watching him on NBC, where he is the first sideline interview reporter that I can remember. He's a Hall of Famer, and deservedly so. He definitely still has his sources throughout the league, and I'm sure that some of the things he'll report in the future will come out correct.
But if he's also going to start conspiracy-theorizing clear falsehoods and reporting what most likely amounts to nonsense, then maybe it's time that we stop listening and spreading his reports as fact.