Kyrie Irving denies report he threatened to sit out with Cavs to have knee surgery

SAN FRANCISCO -- Kyrie Irving denied a report from Cleveland.com that the point guard threatened to sit out with the Cavs this season if the team did not trade him.

"It's not true," Irving said after a team practice at the University of San Francisco. "It's kind of crazy the amount of things that are still coming out, that are still trying to be relevant. I guess that's part of being in the NBA and all the media scrutiny and everything that goes with it. I'm just ready to move on."

Irving has played in 46 of a possible 49 games this year and has missed no time due to knee pain. He's averaging a team-high 32.9 minutes per game, but has been seen wearing a wrap on his knee during recent games. When asked about the possibility that he could need minor knee surgery down the road, Irving shot back with a playful jab.

"Sounds like a HIPAA violation," Irving said. "That's what it sounds like to me."

BSJ Analysis: There is clearly no love lost between the Irving and Cleveland camps in the wake of these comments. It's quite evident where the Cleveland.com came from (inside the Cavs organization) to help defend the team from criticism as they dealt with a tough trade request this summer from Irving and a return that looks more disappointing as additional time passes.

From the Celts' perspective, the only thing to concern themselves with here is the condition of Irving's knee. It clearly wasn't an issue to get a deal done this summer and that's what matters for Irving's future. In the meantime, the point guard doesn't want to be thrown under the bus by his former team so he's rightfully calling them out for the leaks. Don't look for this ''he said, she said'' situation to come to a resolution anytime soon.