NBA Rumors: Latest Rumblings on Kyrie Irving, Carmelo Anthony and More

Veteran fans know the NBA rumor mill doesn't fade into the background without a fight.

That said, the end-of-market fade doesn't usually reignite with a superstar from a contending superteam requesting a trade, either.

The bombshell dropped innocently enough on a Friday afternoon, detailed below, throws the entire rumor mill into chaos because it also manages to reel in and disrupt the rumblings surrounding names such as Carmelo Anthony and Derrick Rose.

Impressive yet almost chilling with the possible leaguewide consequences for years to come. So let's get right to it.

Irving's Out-of-the-Blue Demand

Ron Schwane/Associated Press

Fans likely know the above star is Kyrie Irving.

In a still-developing shocker, it turns out Irving met with the Cleveland Cavaliers recently and asked the team to move him, according to ESPN.com's Brian Windhorst. It's the suggested details, though, where things get intriguing.

"The request came last week and was made to Cavaliers owner Dan Gilbert," Windhorst wrote. "Irving has said that he wants to play in a situation where he can be more of a focal point and that he no longer wants to play alongside LeBron James, sources said."

Irving's desire to get away from LeBron James is quite the interesting angle. He attempted more shots than LeBron last year (19.7-18.2), so if true, it likely relates more to being stuck in the shadow than usage.

Funnily enough, ESPN.com's Chris Haynes went on to note Irving likes the San Antonio Spurs, New York Knicks, Miami Heat and Minnesota Timberwolves as potential destinations.

Which, by this line of thinking, is rather strange. In San Antonio, he'd be with Kawhi Leonard. In New York, Kristaps Porzingis. Miami, Hassan Whiteside. Minnesota, Jimmy Butler and more.

It seems like this boils down to Irving seeing the writing on the wall and wanting a change of scenery more than anything. The front office didn't make any notable moves this summer to keep pace with the Golden State Warriors, and LeBron can opt out and go wherever he wants after the forthcoming season.

No matter the true motivation, Irving is out ahead of a potential whirlwind of events surrounding the team and has perhaps a quarter of the league considering a blockbuster deal.

Knicks See an Opening

Frank Franklin II/Associated Press

It shouldn't come as a surprise the Knicks want in on the action here if the price is right.

New York remains stuck in a rut after an offseason of minimal moves and the continued drama around Anthony, even after the departure of former president Phil Jackson. But if the Knicks want to remain competitive, the front office might have a hard time winning a bidding war.

According to ESPN.com's Ian Begley, the team is only willing to go so far: "The Knicks, obviously, have strong interest in Kyrie Irving (just like 29 other teams), but I'm told people in the Knicks front office would not be willing at this point to include Kristaps Porzingis in a trade. Some with the organization would be willing to include future first-round picks and Carmelo Anthony in a deal for Irving, per league sources."

Carmelo is on his way out one way or another after ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski went on SportsCenter and revealed Anthony went to the Knicks and dropped the following line (h/t Marc Berman of the New York Post): "I am not interested in talking to you about being reincorporated back into this New York roster."

It seems this is a mutual interest sort of situation, but it almost defeats the purpose of Irving coming to town for both parties if the Knicks lose a player like Porzingis. Keep in mind, too, the team just drafted Frank Ntilikina at the point.

Carmelo is obviously a key facet of any deal here and makes for an interesting pairing with LeBron in Cleveland, though the general idea around it kept Irving in town too. If this one goes through, New York immediately becomes a marquee destination for free agents once again, making the summer of 2018 even more interesting than it already is.

Rose to the (Sort of) Rescue?

Carlos Osorio/Associated Press

Somehow, someway, Rose's name has found a way to come up in all of this.

Rose has been one of the more active names on the rumor mill this summer—as expected for a former MVP under the age of 30, even taking into account his iffy past few years.

Despite being all over the place in free agency, including a recent meeting with the Los Angeles Lakers, per Haynes, he's also involved with the Cavaliers.

Haynes had the report:

Before the Irving news, this seemed like a logical signing for the Cavaliers. It wasn't somehow bringing aboard Carmelo, but it was getting a quality backup point who still averaged 18.0 points and 4.4 assists per game a year ago—and likely on a cheap one-year deal to boot.

Now, though, winning a bidding war for Rose might be a necessity if the team loses Irving. His arrival, barring a starting point guard in exchange for Irving, would help the team avoid going into next season with some Jose Calderon-Kay Felder-Deron Williams tandem eating up all the minutes.

On paper, Rose isn't exactly a pass-first guard. Nor is he anywhere close to as efficient as Irving, so while the option might still be on the table, going all out in a bidding war with other teams like the Lakers might have its problems.

Unlike some teams in the wake of bombshell news like this, the Cavaliers at least have options on the table—for now.

All stats and info via ESPN.com unless otherwise specified.