Cleveland Cavaliers' LeBron James says Kyrie Irving report #notfacts

July 25 (UPI) -- LeBron James is playing championship defense in July, denying reports regarding his unhappiness with Cleveland Cavaliers teammate Kyrie Irving.

James took to Twitter Tuesday to swat away several reports. Both of the reports he responded to were from Slam Magazine. The first report stated that he is "eager" for the Cavaliers to trade Irving. That report first originated at Cleveland.com.

"#NotFacts people! Booooo!!! Get another source," James wrote in a retweet of the article.

The second Slam Magazine report James responded to was first reported by ESPN.

ESPN's Stephen A. Smith said on his radio show that he has "had sources in LeBron James' camp literally tell me, and I'm quoting-I'm quoting, Charles!-if Kyrie Irving was in front of LeBron James right now, LeBron James would be tempted, quote, to beat his [expletive], end quote."

"#NotFacts people! Boooo!! Get another source," James quoted in a retweet. "#EnjoyingMySummer #YouDoTheSame."

The retweets could have had the opposite effect that James was seeking, as he has more than 37 million followers on Twitter, giving the articles extra exposure.

Reports first surfaced last week regarding Irving requesting a trade from the Cavaliers. The 25-year-old still has three years and $60 million left on his contract.

Former MVP point guard Derrick Rose signed a one-year deal on Monday with the Cavaliers.

Irving does not have a no-trade clause in his contract, making his list of favored landing spots somewhat useless. That list included the Minnesota Timberwolves, New York Knicks, Miami Heat and San Antonio Spurs.

Sources told ESPN that the Cavaliers are "acting as if a trade is almost inevitable, and that there is little chance of salvaging their relationship with [Irving]."

James himself can opt out of his contract next summer and become a free agent.