David Griffin defends Kyrie Irving’s trade request

Former Cavaliers GM David Griffin appeared on The Jump on ESPN and defended Kyrie Irving from criticism for his trade request out of Cleveland.

"I think Kyrie is going to end up getting traded.

But I think what Ron [Harper] was saying is really unfair to Kyrie. I don't think this is youth and ignorance. This is a guy who handled the situation exactly like he was supposed to.

He went to Dan Gilbert privately, told him that he thought he would be happier somewhere else. 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. So that's not youth and ignorance. That's a little bit more courage than people give him credit for."

This kind of testimonial from Griff should matter in the discourse. This is a guy who worked with Kyrie consistently for the majority of his tenure in Cleveland, and knows his game and personality inside and out.

The quote Griff was referring to from Ron Harper was the former Cavaliers point guard blasting Irving’s request as a byproduct of youth and ignorance. It’s worth nothing that, while some Cleveland fans might be frustrated with Irving having requested a trade at all, he did do it the right way, or as “right” as a trade request can be made.

There’s plenty of consternation about who leaked the information, and if it was Irving, then the conversation might change a little bit, but it’s sort of impossible to know unless you’re fully involved in the process.

Griffin coming down on the side of Irving, and speculating that he’ll be dealt, matters despite the fact that he no longer works in the Cavaliers organization.