Will a Kyrie Irving trade bring him to the Western conference?

A Kyrie Irving trade request shows the Cavs may not be as happy as a perennial Finals contender would be. The guard let management know his preferred trade destinations.

A Kyrie Irving trade may be imminent, as the former Duke guard let Cleveland know in a meeting last week he wants a trade, per ESPN’s Brian Windhorst.

And, according to ESPN, his four preferred destinations are New York, Miami, Minnesota and San Antonio.

What?

This news really comes out of nowhere.

Sure, the Cavs just lost an unwinnable Finals. But they won it one year ago (off an Irving all-time shot, no less).

Cleveland has been operating without a GM this offseason as owner Dan Gilbert chased off David Griffin. Chauncey Billups was the main focus, but Gilbert chased him off too with an offer so low he decided to stick to broadcasting with ESPN.

(Friday afternoon they just announced the promotion of Koby Altman to GM.)

The Cavs went from contenders to Paul George to signing Jose Calderon and Jeff Green, two players who don’t make the team any bit better.

Cleveland is also in a “bidding war” with the Lakers right now over Derrick Rose’s services. If you think D-Rose has much to contribute, especially in the Finals, you’re mistaken.

Then there’s the news that LeBron is unhappy in Cleveland. Rumors have percolated surrounding a James exit in 2018 when he’ll be a free agent. Some think he’ll head out West to either Los Angeles team.

And even Kyrie himself showed some dismay. He just called the Cavs situation “peculiar” a few days ago.

So, maybe this doesn’t all come out of nowhere. The signs have been building, sure.

Yet his situation looks like it was easily preventable if the Cavs had a competent GM in place to avoid their incompetent owner from messing up the team’s fortunes.

But, maybe this wasn’t preventable.

Kyrie wants to be The Guy; not a guy on a championship team, The Guy. And, while LeBron is around, that’s never, ever going to happen.

Will a Kyrie Irving trade land him in the West?

So, Kyrie put in his trade request. And he’s got a couple teams in mind.

He every well could end up in the Western Conference, since he has Minnesota and San Antonio on his preferred choices.

But, unlike Melo, he doesn’t have a no-trade clause — so any preference can be disregarded by the front office, because they have the final say-so.

If he really does move out West, the East will have seen names like Jimmy Butler, Paul George and Paul Millsap leave.

The incumbent Celtics, who added Gordon Hayward, have an easier path each day.

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While the middle-of-the-road Blazers see their conference getting significantly better each day, further crowding the race for the playoffs.

While a Melo trade would definitely help with competing, it seems less and less likely, with the Suns talking a three-team deal with the Knicks and Cavs to send him to Cleveland.