WATCH: Former Cavs GM David Griffin Defends Kyrie Irving's Trade Request

David Griffin knows Kyrie Irving as well as anyone in basketball. The former Cleveland Cavaliers general manager was let go by the team earlier this summer, but has deep insight into the team he ran for three seasons. On Monday he went on ESPN’s “The Jump” and defended Irving’s trade request.

Check it out:

Basically Griffin says Irving handled things the right way by going to owner Dan Gilbert and telling him privately he wanted to be traded. Then, somehow, the news leaked and everyone has jumped all over the 25-year-old.

Griffin claims to understand why Irving wants to move on. He thinks the young point guard wants to find out how good he is without LeBron James helping him. He wants to know if he can be the leader of a championship caliber team and test himself.

That’s certainly one way to look at it, and Griffin does make some solid points. That said, this entire offseason has been a gigantic mess for everyone involved with the Cavs, and Irving’s trade request didn’t make things any better.