The Brooklyn Nets have been in the headlines since last year for various issues off the court. Kevin Durant’s trade saga was just the tip of the iceberg. It was a huge shock to the NBA world that he requested a trade to leave New York when the reports emerged right after Kyrie Irving agreed to stay. Apart from that, Irving’s controversy related to anti-Semitism also caused the Nets to be under the spotlight this year.
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
They have done well on the court in recent times, winning games on the court and gaining some good momentum. However, it certainly looks like things have taken yet another drastic turn for the Brooklyn-based franchise. According to various reports, Kyrie has requested a trade to leave the team. This comes just days before the February 9 trade deadline.
Kyrie Irving follows in Kevin Durant’s footsteps by requesting a trade to leave the Brooklyn Nets
Kyrie’s decision must surely be a shock to NBA fans, mainly because of how the Nets have been performing this year. They have a record of 31 wins and 20 losses and are 4th in the East. They are one of the best contenders to make the playoffs comfortably, which is a major improvement from last year’s performances. The Nets made the playoffs in the 2021-22 NBA season but the Boston Celtics made sure to complete a clean sweep. They eventually made the finals but lost to the Golden State Warriors as well.
As mentioned earlier, Kevin Durant also requested a trade in the summer and listed the lack of stability in the team as one of the reasons. This certainly looks to have been improved this year by new head coach Jacque Vaughn, who took over from Steve Nash in the middle of the season. However, Kyrie has reportedly decided to leave, which opens up numerous trade possibilities. The Lakers will surely be one of the teams interested in the superstar, as former teammate LeBron James will push for a reunion.
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
In addition to that, sources claim that there were talks about a contract extension between Kyrie and the Nets. However, the concerned parties could not arrive at an agreement, which was when Kyrie reportedly submitted trade request today. The former Cleveland Cavaliers superstar signed a 4-year contract worth $136,490,600 which runs out in July this year. If the Nets fail to trade him by February 9, 2023, Kyrie Irving will leave Brooklyn as a free agent in the summer.
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