Giannis and Kyrie Irving Were Nearly Teammates, But the Cavs Rejected Milwaukee's Trade Offer
By Jason McIntyre
Now that the Boston Celtics have traded for Kyrie Irving, we’re going to hear about all the deals that didn’t happen.
Rumors have been floating that rookie Cleveland GM Koby Altman called the Warriors and asked about Klay Thompson, but he was rebuffed.
And here’s a juicy one: Even though Milwaukee wasn’t on Kyrie Irving’s list – hey, Boston wasn’t, either – the Bucks offered Rookie of the Year Malcolm Brogdon, sharpshooter Khris Middleton and a 2018 1st round pick in exchange for Kyrie Irving.
Suns were never really in on Kyrie but here is a nugget - Milwaukee was close - offered Brogdon, Middleton and a 1st round pick.
— John Gambadoro (@Gambo987) August 23, 2017
The Boston trade, obviously, is much better. The piece being talked about the least is Jae Crowder, an excellent wing defender … who will draw Kevin Durant in the Finals. LeBron can go back to freelancing in the paint defensively, like he did in the 2016 Finals.
Brogdon is a big point guard who would be a significant defensive upgrade against Stephen Curry, but he’s not a take-over scorer the way Kyrie was and Isaiah Thomas can be. Middleton shot 43 percent on 3-pointers last year, and at 6-foot-8, also could be the guy who chases around Durant. It certainly won’t be LeBron again, that’s for sure.