The NBA as a whole was taken aback when Kyrie Irving recently said that he wanted to be traded. With Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving at the helm, the Brooklyn Nets have been a competitive club this season and are presently the fourth seed in the Eastern Conference.
A recent report from Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN revealed that even Kyrie Irving’s co-star Kevin Durant was surprised by this trade request. It is clear that even though he is close to Irving, Durant did not expect him to ask out.
Woj: "I'm told that the trade request surprised everyone in Brooklyn today, including Kevin Durant."
(h/t @_Talkin_NBA)
— Hoop Central (@TheHoopCentral) February 3, 2023
I’m told that the trade request surprised everyone in Brooklyn today, including Kevin Durant.
It remains to be seen what the Brooklyn Nets will do in response to Kyrie Irving’s trade request. They could either elect to go through a full rebuild or end up keeping Kevin Durant and trying to remain competitive. They will have to decide quickly, however, as the trade deadline is less than a week away.
The Los Angeles Lakers And Dallas Mavericks Have Already Registered Interest In Kyrie Irving
The Los Angeles Lakers and Dallas Mavericks are two teams that are already expected to engage in trade discussions for Kyrie Irving. Their stance makes sense, as both teams are one move away from becoming legitimate championship contenders.
The Lakers and Mavericks are among the teams Brooklyn is expected to engage in Kyrie Irving trade talks as next Thursday’s 3 PM ET trade deadline approaches, league sources say.
There is no doubt that Kyrie Irving and his scoring ability would help both the Lakers and the Mavericks immensely. Both teams are in need of legitimate perimeter shot creators, and Kyrie Irving is among the best in the association in that department. As he is on an expiring contract, acquiring him is easier now than ever, and it is easy to see why both teams are trying to pounce on the opportunity.
There are other teams who are in the mix for Kyrie Irving as well. Most notably, it was reported that the Phoenix Suns are a team that could end up trading for him, as they are one of the teams that can keep the Nets as a championship contender this year.
It remains to be seen where Kyrie Irving will end up. It is clear that a number of teams view him as a potential difference-maker for their franchise, and there’s a good amount of teams that can present suitable offers as well.
Source: fadeawayworld.net