Kyrie Irving wants out and he has more than attained the merit to make that decision.

According to regional media, Irving requested a trade from the Cleveland Cavaliers with a strong desire to be the number one scoring option for his new employer. Irving has been with the organization since they drafted him with the first overall pick back in 2011. It seems that his time with the team, however, is coming to an end.  

He gained that leave through his experience with the Cavaliers. Irving has matured immensely in his time with the Cavaliers. He came to Cleveland as the best talent the city had seen in any sport since LeBron James came eight years earlier, before leaving and returning again. The sports world was amazed at what he could do. The Cavaliers were mired in one of the worst stretches in franchise history as they grasped to deal with life after James. As Irving matured and his skill developed, people around the league took notice. Irving was going to be a star, he just had to get out of Cleveland to win.

The situation suddenly changed, however, when James returned to Cleveland. Now, not only was Irving a star player, but he was also the little brother of The King. Suddenly, Irving was under national attention and the whole country was able to see what the kid could do. We watched Irving mature right before our eyes as he learned how to be an NBA star next to an all-time great in James.

With the duo of James and Irving, it was no surprise the Cavaliers instantly became contenders and made three consecutive trips to the NBA Finals.

In that first year, Irving dealt with knee problems that forced to him have knee surgery and end his finals prematurely.

Determined to come back strong, Irving had a fantastic second year with James and company upping his game to superstar level. It was no longer only James’s team. In the finals that second year, Irving silenced any last doubters by posting more than 27 points per game, second only to James, and was absolutely critical in the Cavaliers taking home their first ever NBA championship.

ESPN and others are now reporting that Irving wants out of Cleveland. While it was certainly a surprise to team management and reportedly James himself, the cracks in the organization were starting to show. After an embarrassing 4-1 defeat in the NBA Finals last season, the Cavaliers had not done anything to substantially improve their team, signing only veterans, like the 35-year-old Jose Calderon, to fill the bench. Expensive contracts to role players like J.R. Smith and Tristan Thompson have handicapped the organization as they look to compete. The organization has been running without a general manager since David Griffin was fired just a few days before the draft, even after James publicly endorsed resigning him.

To make matters worse, the Boston Celtics, fresh off the free agent acquisition of Gordon Hayward, are primed to give the Cavaliers another push in the Eastern Conference after stealing the number one seed from them last season.   

For Irving, who is continuing to build and grow as a still young player, it would seem right that now is the time to leave. The prospects of any team beating the juggernaut Golden State Warriors are slim, the organization is in complete disarray and there are rumors that James once again is considering leaving the organization for a team out West following the 2017-18 season.

While I don’t think it benefits Irving in any way for this situation to go public, it at least provides fans with another glimpse into how challenging the situation is for the Cavaliers right now. Regardless, I can understand his desire to be the focal point of an offense. He should know that by parting ways with James, he is diminishing, and likely eliminating all together, his chances of ever winning another championship in the NBA.

He has earned the chance to lead an offense based on his performance in the past three years.