We begin Odds & Ends this Monday with the news that Cleveland Cavaliers guard Kyrie Irving reportedly requesting a trade from the team. Irving,25,has made it known that he wishes to be on a team that makes him to focal point,rather than be the sidekick to LeBron James.

Sources have indicated that Irving’s wish list includes the Knicks,Spurs,Heat,and Timberwolves. The Knicks are interested,but won’t be including Kristaps Porzingis in a trade. Carmelo Anthony and first-round picks back to Cleveland could be in play. A deal with Minnesota would almost have to include Jeff Teague,but such a deal can’t take place until Dec. 15 due to Teague signing with the Timberwolves this past summer.

There is no word on if San Antonio or Miami would be trade partners to get Irving.

I honestly feel like Irving should be thankful he’s even on a good team right now. If James had never come back,they would never have been champions a year ago or even a playoff team. It’s not that I don’t think Irving is a talented player,he certainly is,but it makes me wonder if he would be able to lead a team by himself. I don’t necessarily think he can,but we wouldn’t know until it actually happened. I think he is and always has been a complimentary superstar. He’s the kind of guy who should be willing to be a team player and do what it takes to help his team win,not just himself.

The Irving trade rumours didn’t stop with the teams on his wish list. Early Sunday morning ,many Sacramento Kings fans like myself were greeted with the news that their team may be interested in trading for the four-time All Star. One of the pieces that was rumoured to be moved is the new fan favorite in Sacramento,De’ Aaron Fox.

According to Sam Amico of FoxSportsOhio.com, the Kings are expected to offer Fox, along with veteran Kosta Koufos and possibly more for Irving,who is coming off of his best season as a pro.

A lot of fans were in panic mode and were confused, shocked,and even disappointed that their team was even rumoured to be in talks for Irving and that their love affair with Fox might be short-lived.

The rumours,however,were put to rest when a report to NBC Sports California confirmed that no such trade involving Fox for Irving was happening and a sigh of relief could be heard throughout the region,and for good reason,too.

I honestly would have been against such a trade because of the good things that are brewing with the team right now. Why break up what’s going to potentially be a good thing for this team in the years to come? I think building for the future is absolutely what this team needs to do right now. Yeah,I know,they haven’t been to the postseason since I was 24 years old,but that doesn’t matter right now. What matters is that they have a plan and are following it like they should be doing. Sure, it’s gonna suck seeing them win 30 games at best next season,but when I think of what these guys are capable of doing in seasons to come,the patience for this team that I have is suddenly there again.

It wouldn’t be worth it to have Irving come over to the Kings for a season or two and potentially make the playoffs in one of those years and he bolts when we can have several seasons with Fox, a guy that fans are rallying around and enjoying already,and he’s yet to play a meaningful NBA minute.

Bravo to the Kings for squashing a rumour that shouldn’t have been started in the first place. Shame on you,Amico!

Move over Madden curse,you’re no longer the video game curse du jour. Here comes the NBA 2K curse.

What is the NBA 2K curse? Well, one Twitter user noticed something peculiar in regards to the players appearing on the cover since 2013: Almost every player that’s been on the cover has left the next season or beyond for another. It started with LeBron James going back to Cleveland, then Kevin Durant went to Golden State two seasons later and most recently with Paul George going to Oklahoma City. Should Irving’s trade wishes get granted,he would be the next.

The only players omitted were James Harden,Anthony Davis,and Stephen Curry who each appeared on NBA 2K16 and are still with their respective teams as of press time. DeMar DeRozan is on the Canadian cover of the game and he is still under contract in Toronto through 2021.

I’m not one who buys too much into curses,but I’m sure there are more and more fans who may be dreading seeing their superstar on the cover of this game in the near future because it may mean that they’re on another team’s roster in the next year or two. No fan should have to dread that. This is part of why I think the NBA needs to have the franchise tag so that they can try and keep soon-to-be free agents and have them in tow for the long term and not for a few years before they go on to another team and have better success elsewhere.

Is it a curse? It’s not,but it’s getting there. Had Harden,Davis,and Curry moved to other teams, then yeah,you could buy it. But since they’re still on their current team and since Durant didn’t leave the year after he appeared, it’s still the Madden curse that reigns supreme.

Finally this week, it seems that Senator Marco Rubio of Florida wants to get rid of Tom Brady. Rubio (better known as Little Marco on the campaign trail by another candidate by someone who shall remain nameless) is a lifelong Dolphins fan and has had to see Brady and the Patriots win five Super Bowls and countless division titles for most of the 21st century while his Dolphins have stunk up the joint time and time again and even changed their logo to something shitty.

“I think you and I agree the country would be well-served if a certain Thomas Brady were nominated ambassador to Brazil,” Rubio told Jets owner Woody Johnson,who was just nominated the ambassador to the United Kingdom. “Perhaps that could be arranged before September of this year,” which is start of the NFL’s regular season.

Brazil is the home country of Brady’s wife,Gisele Bundchen.

“I don’t know why people are laughing,” Rubio said, “I’m very serious”

I’m sure he was joking,but honestly I can’t stand hearing anything that comes out of his mouth. Not only is he a bad politician,but it’s hard to take such a sore loser like him seriously. Good god,man. If your team isn’t good enough to beat Brady and his team,then they’re the ones that need to go back to the drawing board and figure it out. They’ve had 17 years to try and do that. Don’t complain about greatness if you have no plan to defeat it.

That’s all for this edition of Odds & Ends,we’ll catch you next time!