In a shocking move just days before the deadline, Brooklyn Nets star Kyrie Irving requested a trade away from the franchise.
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The Brooklyn Nets have played like one of the contenders in the East. With the Big 3 of Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving and Ben Simmons, many expected the team from New York to wreak havoc across the league. Despite KD’s injury, Irving had been doing his best to keep the Nets competitive. However, the eight-time All-Star has now raised a question mark over his future with the franchise as he requested a trade away from the Nets.
The 30-year-old has averaged 27.1 PPG, 5.1 RPG and 5.3 APG while shooting 48.6% from the field. He has been clutch and been vital for the Nets since Durant’s injury. Irving is currently on his player option and is a free agent this off-season. There were a lot of questions on how locked in he would be with the Nets as there were rumors that he wanted out due to contract talks. The star point guard is eligible for a four-year $198 million contract, but the team from Brooklyn have been reluctant to offer him that.
According to The Athletic’s Shams Charania, Kyrie Irving has a couple of teams that are interested to acquire his services. The LA Lakers, Phoenix Suns and Dallas Mavericks are the sides that are believed to be interested in the eight-time All-Star. Shams also reported that Irving is looking to make a deal happen before the February 9 deadline. Whether he moves from the city of New York is something that only time will tell, but this definitely has a lot of repercussions for the Brooklyn Nets, who are looking to contend for the championship.
Kyrie Irving has been in Brooklyn for four seasons. Although his stint has been full of controversy, the 2016 NBA champion has also delivered some top-notch performances. In 143 games since joining the roster, Kyrie has averaged 27.1 PPG. He has looked elite playing alongside Kevin Durant and although the two have not succeeded in delivering a championship to the franchise, there is no doubt that they are one of the most lethal duos in the league.
Without a shadow of a doubt, Irving is a sensational presence on the basketball court. However, his availability issues have forced the Nets to refrain from giving him the long-term contract that he is looking for. Certainly, the Lakers would love to have a player like him and they had been in dialogue with the Nets during the summer. It will be interesting to see if those talks resurface as it is no secret that LeBron James would love to pair up with him.
Kyrie’s trade request has certainly heated things up as a lot of things in the market will now revolve around this deal. There are teams willing to make a trade, but the final decision is with the Brooklyn Nets.
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