Kyrie Irving’s unwillingness to commit is hurting his trade value

Kyrie Irving is not doing the Cavaliers any favors this offseason.

The Cleveland Cavaliers’ disgruntled point guard Kyrie Irving has put his team through the proverbial ringer this offseason. Now a report has surfaced that says Irving is unwilling to commit to any team that trades for him once his contract expires.

Reports surfaced a few weeks ago that he wanted a trade away from Cleveland, specifically to get out of the shadow of LeBron James. Kyrie listed his preferred destinations but still has two remaining years on his contract.

A team that trades for the 25-year-old All Star would like to know that they have him around for a long time. Irving apparently does not want to be that committed to a situation in which he has no control over the destination.

The Plain Dealer’s Terry Pluto wrote in a column Wednesday morning:

"“I’m told Irving is not about to commit to any team at this point. He has two seasons left on his contract and wants to keep his options open.”"

The new age of star movement in the NBA saw Chris Paul, Jimmy Butler and Paul George change teams this offseason. Shorter contracts are enabling stars to shuffle the deck more than ever before.

Butler and George both made it clear they wanted out of Chicago and Indiana respectively. Butler was in a similar contract situation as Kyrie with two remaining years left on his deal. This could have dampened his trade value that led to the Bulls receiving injured Zach Lavine, disappointing Kris Dunn and the No. 7 pick Lauri Markkanen for Butler and the No. 16 pick. George’s player option at the end of next season was absolutely a factor in the paltry trade package the Pacers received for him.

The Cavaliers are reportedly looking for a package that includes draft picks, a young blue chip prospect and a win-now veteran. Reports stated that Cleveland would pull the trigger on a trade with the Suns.  However, they would have to include the fourth overall pick Josh Jackson. Phoenix has been said to want to hang on to the talented wing as a great compliment to untouchable guard Devin Booker.

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The fact that Kyrie is unwilling to commit to any team that trades for him will certainly hurt his trade value. The question remains: will the Cavaliers get what they feel like is fair value for an All-Star entering his prime or will all these outside factors tank the market?