Source: Maddie Meyer / Getty / Kyrie Irving
NBA Insider Adrian Wojnarowski dropped the Wojbomb on Twitter, writing in a tweet, “Brooklyn Nets star Kyrie Irving has told the franchise that he wants to be traded ahead of Thursday’s deadline, a source tells ESPN.”
The latest development in the Kyrie Irving saga comes after Irving’s stepmother/agent, Shetellia Riley Irving, said her stepson was seeking an extension,
and the ball was in the Brooklyn Nets’ court.
No deal was struck, and Irving is set to hit the free agent mark this summer, but apparently, he would rather play somewhere else than hit the organization with a trade request on Friday, a source told the Disney-owned sports network.
Possible Trade Destinations For Kyrie Irving
As for where Irving wants to go, that remains to be up in the air.
Per
ESPN:
Irving has not shared a list of preferred teams he would like to be traded to, but he has maintained an interest in the Lakers, sources said. L.A. is expected to be among the groups that’ll explore a possible trade with the Nets.
Irving had previously requested to be sign-and-traded ahead of the season before deciding to opt into the final year of his four-year max contract.
Woj is also reporting the Dallas Mavericks, who are desperate to find a player to complement Luka Doncic, could be a possible trade destination for Kyrie Irving.
It’s also no coincidence Irving’s trade request comes after the Nets have now lost seven of their last 11 games since Kevin Durant went down with an injury.
The Brooklyn Nets got their butts handed to them by Irving’s previous team, the Boston Celtics suffering an embarrassing 139-96 loss.
Once again, the Celtics were the team to add fuel to the fire that was seemingly dying down.
A History of Kyrie Irving’s Tumultuous Time With The Brooklyn Nets
Kyrie Irving’s time with the Nets has been nothing but drama.
He’s rarely been on the court due to injury or decisions he made. During the COVID-19 pandemic, he refused to get vaccinated because he needed to do more research than the people who made the vaccines.
Due to the NYC mandate at the time,
Irving’s unvaccinated stance kept him off the court, and
Kevin Durant had to do the heavy lifting. At the same time, his teammate became the “voice for the voiceless,” aka people who didn’t want to get vaccinated against COVID-19.
One drama led to another after the All-Star guard
shared a link to an antisemitic documentary on Amazon that the company refuses to take down.
The Nets were initially reluctant to suspend Irving despite the loud calls for the team to take action, but he eventually
forced the team’s hand because he doubled down on his stance.
He would eventually apologize for his actions, but the Nets still felt he was unfit to be with the team and issued him a list of stipulations that had to be met before his return.
When he did return, the Brooklyn Nets would finally hit their stride after the firing of Steve Nash. The team is currently has a 31-20 record and among the top Eastern Conference teams.
NBA Twitter, as expected, is reacting to Kyrie Irving demanding a trade again. You can see those reactions in the gallery below.
Photo: Maddie Meyer / Getty
