Kyrie Irving Trade Request 'Didn't Really Surprise' Chauncey Billups

Former Cleveland Cavaliers general manager candidate Chauncey Billups said Tuesday that he wasn't caught off guard by Kyrie Irving's recent trade request.

Appearing on Altitude 950's the Vic Lombardi Show (h/t BSNDenver.com), Billups suggested he had an inkling the situation involving Irving was set to escalate:        

"No. It didn't really surprise me. Obviously, I knew. As they were doing their due diligence on me, I was doing the same thing. I knew so much about the situation that the rest of the world doesn't know. But that's unfortunate. He's a special talent and in my opinion, so much of what he's been able to accomplish on and off the floor has been a beneficiary of having LeBron James."

ESPN's Brian Windhorst reported last week that Irving asked the Cavs brass to trade him due to a lack of desire to team with LeBron any longer.

Billups—who was a five-time All-Star and one-time NBA champion as a player—removed his name from consideration for the GM position July 3, per ESPN.com's Adrian Wojnarowski.

That led to the Cavs elevating Koby Altman from assistant GM to general manager following the departure of David Griffin.

Irving's reported trade request comes in the midst of a dominant run for the Cavaliers in the Eastern Conference, as they have reached three consecutive NBA Finals behind LeBron, Irving and Kevin Love, including a championship win in 2016.

The 25-year-old Irving had a standout 2016-17 season, even though he was partially in James' shadow, as he averaged a career-high 25.2 points per game and elevated that number to 25.9 points per contest during the playoffs.

Specifically, Irving named the San Antonio Spurs, New York Knicks, Minnesota Timberwolves and Miami Heat as teams he would like to play for, per Windhorst.

The Cavaliers have no obligation to move Irving, as he is under contract with the team for two more seasons before a player option kicks in.