Could Dion Waiters be on his way out of Cleveland? According to ESPN's Chris Broussard, the answer is yes. Following a three-hour meeting with head coach Mike Brown and general manager Chris Grant last week, the idea of being dealt was brought up by the 2012 No. 4 overall pick. And so far, the Cavs have spoken with three teams who may be interested in acquiring Waiters: the Chicago Bulls, New York Knicks and Philadelphia 76ers.
Waiters, who is currently seeing a decline in points per game and shooting percentage, has also reportedly developed "a contentious relationship with several teammates" and that includes star point guard Kyrie Irving.
Broussard points to one scenario after the Cavaliers' 29-point loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves on Nov. 13 that exemplifies Waiters' problems with his teammates, namely Irving and Tristan Thompson.
Irving called the meeting after the game, and every player spoke. When Waiters was given the floor, he criticized Thompson and Irving, accusing them of playing "buddy ball'' and often refusing to pass to him. Thompson took umbrage with Waiters' words and went back at him verbally. The two confronted each other, but teammates intervened before it could escalate into a fight.
Reports indicate that the Cavs are targeting Iman Shumpert (Knicks), Evan Turner (76ers) and Luol Deng (Bulls), in exchange for Waiters.
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[via ESPN]
