Brooklyn Nets warmth magnet and resident conspiracy theorist Kyrie Irving needs the group to deal him elsewhere previous to the NBA commerce deadline or he’ll depart as a free agent, as reported by ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski and The Athletic’s Shams Charania.
Irving, 30, had beforehand requested to be sign-and-traded forward of the season, based on Woj, citing sources. The guard is within the last 12 months of his four-year $136 million contract with Brooklyn.
“Here’s Brooklyn hoping to get Kevin Durant back, perhaps even before the All-Star break, but at the latest, right after the All-Star break, and thinking they have an opportunity, a window to make a run with this group, and now Kyrie Irving has asked the Brooklyn Nets to be traded ahead of Thursday’s trade deadline,” Woj stated whereas showing on ESPN programming.
Irving, the mercurial level guard who was No. 3 in our 2022 Idiot of the Year checklist, is presently averaging 27.1 factors, 5.1 rebounds, and 5.3 assists per sport for Brooklyn (31-20). The Nets are 4-6 over their final 10 and sit in third place within the Atlantic Division.
His teammate Kevin Durant beforehand requested the Nets commerce him again in June.
Where Irving goes — and what group would need the headache — remains to be up within the air. According to Woj, Irving hasn’t given the Nets a listing of groups he’d wish to be despatched to, however is focused on becoming a member of the Lakers. Los Angeles is 25-28 and out of a playoff spot.
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Soap opera drama
As I’m sure you remember, in since-deleted messages on his social media, Irving promoted the ebook and documentary Hebrews to Negroes: Wake Up Black America, which pushes a number of lies concerning the Jewish individuals and their mistreatment of individuals of colour. Nike subsequently suspended its relationship with Irving, who later declared he was “free.”
He didn’t apologize till after the Nets suspended him for eight video games and the Anti-Defamation League rejected his donation.
Irving can also be a identified flat earther, and anti-vaxxer, claiming his stance on the COVID-19 vaccine value him over $100 million.
“I gave up four years, 100-and-something million deciding to be unvaccinated and that was the decision,” Irving had stated at Nets media day in September. “[Get this] contract, get vaccinated or be unvaccinated and there’s a level of uncertainty of your future, whether you’re going to be in this league, whether you’re going to be on this team, so I had to deal with that real-life circumstance of losing my job for this decision.”
In different in-season drama, the Nets fired head coach Steve Nash, and pursued Ime Udoka, who was suspended by the Boston Celtics for the 2022-23 season. Durant has additionally hung out off the courtroom coping with accidents.