Report: Kyrie threatened to sit out entire season unless Cavs traded him

Just how much had Kyrie Irving's relationship with the Cleveland Cavaliers soured this summer? The young superstar guard was apparently willing to sacrifice a year of his physical prime and financial incentives to force the Cavs to honor his trade request.

Irving reportedly threatened to delay a minor knee surgery until the start of the 2017-18 season and then sit the year out entirely if the Cavaliers didn't meet his demands, sources told Cleveland.com's Joe Vardon.

LeBron James had reportedly hoped the Cavaliers would not bend to Irving's request. That would have forced Irving to either return to the Cavaliers or follow through on his pledge.

In the end, Irving was officially traded to the Boston Celtics on Aug. 30 for a package including Isaiah Thomas, Jae Crowder, Ante Zizic, the Brooklyn Nets' 2018 first-round pick, and a 2020 second-round pick.

Irving has averaged 24.5 points, five assists, and 3.8 rebounds per game for the top-seeded Celtics, missing just three games to date. The knee surgery he needs is minor and not urgent, sources say, but would relieve some of the swelling and pain he continues to experience.