Richard Jefferson Talks Kyrie Irving Trade Rumors, Cavaliers Team Chemistry

Cleveland Cavaliers forward Richard Jefferson doesn't begrudge Kyrie Irving for his desire to leave the team this summer.

Jefferson addressed Irving's situation on the most recent edition of his Road Trippin' podcast with teammate Channing Frye (via ESPN.com's Dave McMenamin):

"I think Kyrie is a hyper-intelligent kid. Really, really smart. Doesn't get enough credit for how smart he is, and I think seeing that the franchise is in flux, I think seeing [general manager David Griffin] leave and the amount of coaches ... I think Kyrie has had a much tougher time in this stretch of the organization than anyone ever wants to ever really fully [recognize].

"He's the No. 1 pick right after [LeBron James left for Miami in 2010], then he has three different coaches, then LeBron comes back, now there's trade rumors, now it's 'LeBron's leaving.' It's like at some point in time, anybody would want some sort of stability."

ESPN.com's Ramona Shelburne, Dave McMenamin and Brian Windhorst detailed the series of events leading to Irving's trade request. They reported that Irving ultimately desires to play for a team where he can be the biggest star and that he's "tired of being Robin to James' Batman."

While some have seen Irving's demand as a sign of discord in the Cavaliers' locker room, Jefferson said he doesn't believe there to be "a power struggle, like with LeBron and Kyrie and [Kevin Love]."

It's easy to view Irving's decision resulting directly from the general sense of dysfunction surrounding the Cavaliers this summer, but that may not be the case. According to Windhorst, Irving had considered asking for a trade last summer, after the Cavs defeated the Golden State Warriors in the NBA Finals.

On one hand, it seems absurd that Irving would willingly want to leave a team where he can consistently contend for NBA titles and play alongside one of the best players in the sport's history.

However, Irving agreed to his max extension with Cleveland in July 2014 with the expectation he'd be the focal point for the future. James' return changed all of that, so it's understandable why he'd want to finally receive that opportunity elsewhere.