Kyrie Irving Reportedly Requested Trade After Conversations with Church Pastor

Cleveland Cavaliers guard Kyrie Irving reportedly requested a trade following conversations with pastor Carl Lentz of Hillsong Church, according to TMZ Sports.

The report noted that Irving and Lentz have been close for a long time and that Lentz urged Irving to make the decision he was most comfortable with.

ESPN.com's Brian Windhorst was the first to report that Irving asked for a trade due largely to his desire to part ways with LeBron James.

TMZ Sports noted that his relationship with James was among the things Irving discussed with Lentz.

Per Windhorst, Irving has interest in getting traded to the San Antonio Spurs, New York Knicks, Minnesota Timberwolves or Miami Heat.

The combination of Irving and James has led the Cavs to three consecutive NBA Finals, including the organization's first championship in 2016 after beating the Golden State Warriors in seven games.

Irving is also coming off his best statistical season, as he averaged 25.2 points per game during the regular season and 25.9 points per contest in the playoffs.

The 25-year-old superstar is under contract for two more seasons and can opt out of his deal prior to the 2019-20 campaign.