Tyron Lue confirmed the Cavaliers tried to build the Big Three of James, Irving and Paul George

According to US sports media F/W reporter Gautam Varyl. The Cavaliers fans aren’t looking back at the 2017 offseason with too affectionateness, but they probably remember this offseason for all the right reasons. Former Cavaliers head coach Tyron Lue confirmed on the Club Shay Shay podcast that the team had tried to acquire Paul George from the Pacers to form the Big Three with James and Irving. The Cavaliers entered that offseason after losing to the Warriors in the 2017 NBA Finals with a low morale five-game series. They were known for defeating the Warriors in the 2016 NBA Finals for seven games, but soon after, hopes of any reenactment were shattered. The Warriors signed Durant as a free agent and formed the Big Four with Curry, Thompson and Green. While it would be a feat in itself to win a game from that team, it is clear that if the Cavaliers want to get back to their top, they have to upgrade their roster. George was considered the one who could greatly help their career after making a trade request to the Pacers during the offseason.

After careful consideration, the Cavaliers seem to have traded George with three teams, including the Denver Nuggets. George even spoke with James, but Pacers general manager Prichard finally decided not to continue the deal, according to ESPN.

" On the afternoon of June 30, the two sides thought they had reached an agreement. During the call between the teams, everyone agreed initially. George joined the Cavaliers, Love joined the Nuggets, and Harris and other players joined the Pacers. "There has been a plan to arrange a call between George and Gilbert, which is an important step before the deal is finalized. As the free agent market is about to begin, management begins to develop other plans to supplement George. But sources said Pritchard, who then participated in the conference call when the deal was tentatively concluded, sent a message that his team was exiting. No agreement was reached. ” Shortly after, it was revealed that the Pacers were trading George to the Thunder for Oladipo and Sabonis. The Cavaliers just wanted to know what to expect. Is a team led by James, Irving and George enough to beat the Warriors? Probably not, but the Cavaliers would make their lives difficult. George averaged 23.7 points and 6.6 rebounds per game for the Pacers in 2016-17 , 3.3 assists, 1.6 steals and 0.4 blocks. An elite two-way wing like him is exactly what you need against the Warriors, and he might help the Cavaliers win two or three games in the rematch.

It seems that losing George is not a big enough blow, and the Cavaliers then see Irving submit a trade request. Later in the offseason, he will be sent to the Boston Celtics in exchange for Thomas, Claude, Zizichi and the Brooklyn Nets First round pick in 2018. The Cavaliers have always dreamed of having this powerful Big Three, and they were suddenly left with James. He still managed to drag the team into the 2018 NBA Finals, but they would be swept by the Warriors. James then headed to the Los Angeles Lakers as a free agent, and the Cavaliers were like that.

They entered the rebuilding phase, but to their credit, they are now contenders again. The Cavaliers are one of the favorites to win the Eastern Conference next season, and it will be fun to see if this team can go all the way after the team won their first championship.