As the Cleveland Cavaliers were in the midst of a stretch of NBA Finals appearances and seemingly poised to return there, Kyrie Irving stunned LeBron James and the franchise by requesting a trade.
Indications were the friendship between Irving and James had deteriorated, and he sought to be the leader of his own team. Failed attempts to patch the relationship together led to Irving being traded to the Boston Celtics.
Several months ahead of becoming a member of the 2019 free agent class, Irving publicly declared he would re-sign with the Celtics this summer. Turbulent times and his criticism of younger teammates having come and gone, that no longer appears to be such a forgone conclusion.