What’s Going On in the NBA?

Get the latest news, highlights, and analysis from around the NBA.

The Kyrie Irving Situation

Kyrie Irving has been one of the most talked about players in the NBA this offseason. After request a trade from the Cleveland Cavaliers, Irving has been linked to a number of teams, including the San Antonio Spurs and the Minnesota Timberwolves. However, no trade has been made yet and Irving is still a member of the Cavaliers.

Kyrie requests a trade

On July 21st, 2017, Kyrie Irving shocked the world by requesting a trade from the Cleveland Cavaliers. Irving, who was the Cavaliers’ number one overall pick in the 2011 NBA Draft and a key member of their 2016 NBA Championship team, told the Cavaliers that he no longer wanted to play alongside LeBron James and wanted to be the number one option on his own team.

The Cavaliers are now in a difficult situation. Do they trade Irving and start a rebuild around young players like rookie point guard Collin Sexton? Or do they try to convince Irving to stay and pair him with another star player in an attempt to win another championship?

The Kyrie Irving situation is just one of many storyline in what promises to be an eventful 2017-18 NBA season.

Kyrie is traded to the Celtics

The Kyrie Irving trade saga has come to an end, with the All-Star point guard being dealt from the Cleveland Cavaliers to the Boston Celtics in a blockbuster deal. Irving had requested a trade back in July, saying that he wanted to play on a team where he could be the focal point.

The Cavaliers had been reluctant to trade Irving, but with the start of the season fast approaching, they decided to pull the trigger on a deal that saw them receive a haul of young talent and draft picks in return for their star player.

The Celtics acquired Irving in exchange for guard Isaiah Thomas, forward Jae Crowder, center Ante Zizic, and the Brooklyn Nets’ 2018 first-round draft pick. In addition, Cleveland will also receive the Miami Heat’s 2020 second-round draft pick as part of the deal.

For the Celtics, they get a player in Irving who is just entering his prime and who has already established himself as one of the best point guards in the league. Irving gives them another scoring option to pair with forward Gordon Hayward, and gives them a legitimate chance to compete for an NBA title this season.

For the Cavaliers, they unload a player who didn’t want to be there, and get back some valuable assets that can help them rebuild post-LeBron James. Thomas is clearly the headliner in this deal for Cleveland, as he is coming off an All-NBA season in which he averaged 28.9 points per game. Crowder is also a solid player who brings some much-needed toughness and defense to a Cavs team that was often lacking in those areas last season. Zizic is a promising young big man who was recently acquired by Boston from the Sixers as part of thetrade that sent forward/center Markelle Fultz to Philadelphia. And finally, that Brooklyn pick could end up being lottery protected depending on how things pan out over the next few seasons.

The Jimmy Butler Situation

Jimmy requests a trade

On September 20th, 2018, it was reported that All-Star Jimmy Butler had requested a trade from the Minnesota Timberwolves. This came as a surprise to many as Butler had just signed a max contract extension with the team less than a year ago.

Since then, Butler has been in and out of the lineup, skipping practices and causing conflict with teammates and coaches. Reports have surfaced that Butler is unhappy with the organization and wants to be traded to one of his preferred destinations: the Brooklyn Nets, Los Angeles Clippers, or New York Knicks.

The Timberwolves have until the end of October to make a decision on Butler’s future. Until then, we can only wait and see what will happen next in this ongoing saga.

Jimmy is traded to the Timberwolves

On June 22, 2017, the Chicago Bulls traded Jimmy Butler and the 16th overall pick in the 2017 NBA draft to the Minnesota Timberwolves in exchange for Zach LaVine, Kris Dunn, and Lauri Markkanen.

This move came as a surprise to many, as Butler had just been named to the All-NBA Third Team and was coming off a season in which he averaged 23.9 points, 6.2 rebounds, 5.5 assists, and 1.9 steals per game.

The Carmelo Anthony Situation

Carmelo Anthony is one of the best scorers in the NBA, and he is currently a free agent. He was recently traded from the Oklahoma City Thunder to the Atlanta Hawks, and then he was bought out by the Hawks. He is now a free agent, and he is being courted by a lot of teams.

Carmelo is traded to the Thunder

Carmelo Anthony is on the move again, this time to the Oklahoma City Thunder in a trade that sends Enes Kanter, Doug McDermott and a 2018 second-round pick to the New York Knicks. Oklahoma City also receives Chicago’s 2018 second-round pick in the deal.

The Knicks get rid of Anthony’s hefty contract, while adding two younger players and draft picks. For the Thunder, they take on a big contract but get a proven scorer to play alongside Russell Westbrook and Paul George.

It’s unclear what role Anthony will play with the Thunder. He averaged 22.4 points per game last season but shot just 40 percent from the field and 35 percent from three-point range. He will likely come off the bench for OKC as they try to figure out how he fits into their puzzle.

The LeBron James Situation

LeBron James, arguably the best basketball player in the world, is in a bit of a situation. He’s currently on the Los Angeles Lakers, a team that’s not doing so well. In fact, they’re currently in last place in their conference. LeBron is getting older and his window for winning a championship is closing. What will he do?

LeBron signs with the Lakers

LeBron James has signed a four-year, $154 million contract with the Los Angeles Lakers, according to his agent, Rich Paul of Klutch Sports Group.

The deal includes a player option for the fourth year.

James officially become a free agent at 12:01 a.m. ET Sunday when teams were allowed to begin negotiations with him and his agent. The Lakers and Philadelphia 76ers met with James in person in Los Angeles on Saturday night, making their final pitches as LeBron weighed his decision.

The 33-year-old James is coming off one of his best seasons, averaging 27.5 points, 8.6 rebounds and 9.1 assists while leading the Cleveland Cavaliers to their fourth straight NBA Finals appearance.