The Cavaliers are projecting confidence they can snare a king's ransom for Kyrie Irving, and more than that, they are acting -- for now -- as if a trade is almost inevitable, and that there is little chance of salvaging their relationship with him, according to several sources familiar with the situation.
Things can always change, but that is the mood around these tense talks now.
Irving is not the first sidekick to seek a larger role, or the first superstar to engineer his way out of town. This is the latest version of Carmelo Anthony and Paul George telling their teams, "I will not come back," only Irving is doing it early enough -- with two guaranteed years left on his deal -- for Cleveland to demand a haul.