Cleveland Cavaliers Trading Ramon Sessions Would Be Good for Kyrie Irving

Cleveland Cavaliers rookie Kyrie Irving is in the midst of one of the better rookie seasons that we have seen in the league.

The scary thing is that his numbers are only going to get better as the season goes on. I’m not saying that because I have the intuitive belief that he will continue to improve at a steadfast rate; rather, I say that because the Cavs are most likely going to lose some key players before the March 15 trade deadline, and by “key players,” I mean possession hoarders.   

One of those players is backup point guard, Ramon Sessions. It is sounding more and more likely that he will be traded to Los Angeles, filling in for the Lakers' void at point guard, otherwise known as 37-year-old Derek Fisher. 

Coming off the Cavs' bench all year, Sessions is averaging 22.6 minutes per game while taking 7.9 shots a contest. He came into the season knowing his standing behind Kyrie Irving as well as (as a direct result of Irving) his name being shopped on the trade market. Sessions has been playing for his own market value, and he should be.  

Byron Scott has limited Irving’s minutes this season to give Sessions an audition.  But also because Sessions is a good point guard and deserves minutes, while Irving is a rookie.  

With recent injuries to both the Cavs’ shooting guards Anthony Parker and Boobie Gibson, Irving’s minutes have been up of late. However, Sessions has been out there running the point while Irving plays the two more often than not. Basically, Irving chills off to the side and watches as Sessions does everything in his power to dissuade the Lakers from pursuing Gilbert Arenas over himself. 

So yeah, expect to see a lot more of Irving if, and when, Sessions is dealt.

As things currently stand, Irving is 24th in the league in scoring and fifth among all point guards, averaging 18.1 points per game while playing a modest 29.6 minutes per game.  Shooting the ball 13.9 times per night, he ranks fourth among point guards in points per shot attempt.  If Sessions is shipped to the Lake Show we can expect all three of those numbers to take a big hike and Kyrie Irving to win Rookie of the Year fairly easily.

Now why, really, should any of the above mentioned be of any real relevance to anyone? Because Cavs fans, whether they’re willing to admit it or not, aren’t over LeBron James. We are going to be comparing Kyrie’s progressional timeline to LeBron’s for a while to come. Sure, we understand they are two completely different players playing two different positions, but that won’t stop us.  

Cavs fans want Irving to run away with the Rookie of the Year. We want him to average above and beyond what LeBron averaged back in 2004. We want him to inch his way closer and closer to Derrick Rose and Chris Paul as one of the league’s best point guards. Cavs fans aren’t going to move on from LeBron James just because we have Kyrie now. No, no, no, we’re going to walk with our heads up, our chests out, and flaunt Kyrie for LeBron and everyone else to notice.  Unfortunately for Irving, that’s just how it is here, and it will probably be for some time.  

Sorry about that, my contract requires me to mention him once per article.  Back to Irving.

Prior to the season starting, it was almost a foregone conclusion that Antawn Jamison would be traded at some point in the season.  But as it comes to be, there’s zero-to-little buzz regarding potential movement of Jamison.  

Personally, the Cavs ridding themselves of Jamison is the team's best trade option. Criticize him all you want, but the Cavs are a better team with Antawn Jamison than without.  

There is a lot of talk about trying to dump Anderson Varejao for a lottery pick when, in actuality, the best compromise would be to keep Varejao, get rid of Jamison (even if you have to buy him out), essentially guaranteeing the Cavs a lottery pick.  

I’m not purposely rooting against the Cavs so they can get a better pick, I’m just rooting for them to deliberately downgrade their roster. There’s nothing ethically wrong with that. At least I don’t believe so.  

Take away Jamison’s 14.8 shot attempts per night and suddenly we’re looking at Irving averaging something like 23 points per game, aren’t we?  Ok, probably not, take Jamison off this team and the situation arises where defenses are double-teaming Irving on a nightly basis.  

Yes, Jamison, despite his refusal to ever pass the ball and his glaring .396 shooting percentage is actually quite valuable to this team. And that’s why the Cavs should do everything in their power to free him and his $15 million he’s making this year. And maybe then, just maybe, after this teams rids itself of the last semblance of the LeBron James era (not counting Varejao), Cavs fans would be able to officially move on...  

Or not.