In a shocking turn of events, Brooklyn Nets all-star PG Kyrie Irving wants out of Brooklyn. He informed the team today that he prefers to be traded before the deadline which ends next Thursday. That leaves the Nets in an extremely tough position with just six days to try and get a deal done. Both sides tried working out a contract-extension, but Irving obviously didn’t see a future with the Nets anymore.
At fourth in the East with a 31-20 record, this comes as a shock to the NBA world as a whole. Irving was a big piece trying to hold the team together while Kevin Durant returns from injury. Now, he puts Brooklyn between a rock and a hard place.
The NBA trade deadline end on 2/9 at 3:00pm EST. That gives the Nets roughly six days to try and make a deal that’s worth it to them to trade Irving. NBA betting sites have the Nets at (+800) as of now to win the Finals, but that will surely change.
Breaking: Brooklyn Nets All-Star Kyrie Irving has requested a trade, league sources tell @TheAthletic @Stadium. The franchise has been informed that Irving prefers to move on ahead of the Feb. 9 trade deadline – or will leave in free agency in July.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) February 3, 2023
Kyrie Irving tells the Nets that he wants out of Brooklyn
In 40 games played and started this season for the Nets, Irving is averaging (27.1) points, (5.1) rebounds, (5.3) assists, and (1.0) steals per game. There were reports that the Nets and Irving tried working out a contract-extension recently, but his counteroffer to that was a trade request once a deal could not be made.
It’s important to note that in the 2021 offseason that Brooklyn offered Kevin Durant, James Harden, and Kyrie Irving extensions in hopes to keep the team together. Harden would be moved at the deadline of the 2021-22 season and now Kyrie is requesting a trade just six days before the deadline.
There were some talks on a new deal for Irving, but no deal was reached and a trade request was delivered to the organization today, sources tell ESPN. Irving can leave the franchise this summer as a free agent. https://t.co/vnNWbUW56S
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) February 3, 2023
Durant was the only Net at the time out of the three that took an extension. He signed a max extension with Brooklyn at four-years, $194,219,320 and is earning a base salary of $42,969,845 this season. Reports say that the Nets contract-extension offer was not well received by Irving and that’s likely why he wants out of Brooklyn.
Many media outlets have speculated that Irving will end up on the Lakers. He’s got championship chemistry with LeBron and LA have title aspirations why James still has a few good years left.
