Since the end of the NBA Finals, there has been an increased attention toward All-Star point guard Kyrie Irving's future with the Boston Celtics. This has also brought forward more scrutiny toward his standing with the organization.

A bulk of this talk has centered on the Celtics not being on the list of teams that he wanted to be moved once made the Cleveland Cavaliers aware that he desired to be traded. During a recent interview with Bill Simmons on the Bill Simmons podcast, Irving voiced that he had no control about where he was going to wind up once he made it known that he was looking to be shipped off last offseason.

Bill Simmons: “When you knew you wanted to get traded, did you have a list of teams or situations in your head [that you wanted to go to]?”

Kyrie Irving: “Yeah I did, but, ideally, it was gonna be up to the team regardless. I would like to think I had somewhat of a leverage point, but at the end of the day, it was going to be a business move for the Cavs in order for us to part ways respectfully.”

Although Irving had made it clear where he wanted to play next, that was ultimately in the control of the Cavaliers given that he didn't possess a no-trade clause. This likely came down to the simple fact that the Celtics offered what was believed to be the best assortment of assets.

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This happens to be the case in many cases around the league beyond just what Irving experienced given that teams are looking for what is the best deal that will help them inch closer to compete for the playoffs and possibly further. The Celtics may be the primary challenge for the Cavaliers, the trade package they provided included two proven talents in Isaiah Thomas and Jae Crowder as well as a high first-round pick in this year's draft.

Ultimately, Irving will have his chance to dictate where he wants to spend the next chapter of his career when he hits the open market in free agency in the summer of 2019.