The Cleveland Cavaliers have a blazing fire to put out following leaks of Kyrie Irving requesting a trade off of the franchise that drafted him first overall.
The Cavaliers have had a tumultuous offseason, and parting ways with the general manager that helped architect the franchise's lone title was but a sign of things to come. Cleveland is only barely getting their new general manger, Koby Altman, settled in.
His first task as general manger - navigating the Irving trade market - will be a massive challenge. All 29 teams have already reportedly called in just to feel the situation out, and one team is already preparing its roster for trade rumors to start flying.
The Phoenix Suns have gone out of their way to inform No. 4 pick of the 2017 NBA Draft Johs Jackson that he will not be included in any trade discussions centered around Irving, according to John Gambadoro of Arizona Sports 98.7. The Suns could be one of the teams that makes a serious push to land Irving.
Trading Irving should net the Cavaliers a great return haul. Irving is still young at 25 years old, is an NBA champion and still has three full season on his contract. This isn't trading for a rental and a prayer, as the Oklahoma City Thunder did with Paul George.
The Suns likely want the starting point of any Kyrie trade discussion to be centered around Eric Bledsoe, who happens to also be represented by LeBron James' Klutch Sports agency. Bledsoe, however, is hardly the kind of return the Cavaliers are hoping for.
If Phoenix is saying no to trading Jackson, it's probably fair to believe they'd also want to keep Devin Booker on the team as well. Should the Suns hold out two of their marquee young lottery talents, the Cavaliers will likely be better off seeking a package elsewhere.
Phoenix has other interesting young pieces, like Dragan Bender and Marquese Chriss, but neither player should have the Cavaliers leaping for the phones. Cleveland may be entering its final year with LeBron, and neither Bender nor Chriss help the Cavaliers get any closer to competing with the Golden State Warriors.
Bledsoe would be a solid replacement point guard and the move would make some sense, but with the kind of value Cleveland can find elsewhere, the Suns taking a hard stance on Jackson may be a tough obstacle for both sides to overcome in negotiations.
The Cavaliers have a tough decision ahead, but Irving has real value on the trade market that should give Cleveland numerous options to consider.