Even if you’re not a fan of Kyrie Irving as a person, no one can deny that he’s one of the best scorers in the NBA. The Brooklyn Nets’ championship aspirations took a big hit when they announced that they won’t allow him to play this season.
The Nets will hold his pay for all the games he misses due to ineligibility. Moreover, they also reportedly backed down on offering him a 4-year, $187 million contract extension as a result of his lack of commitment to the team.
Unsurprisingly, that has also fueled plenty of speculation about a potential Kyrie Irving trade. And, even despite his antics and controversial nature, there’s still some interest in his services around the league.
NBA Rumors: Kyrie Irving Is Still Driving Some Trade Interest Around The League
“Multiple teams continue reaching out to the Nets regarding a potential Kyrie Irving trade. Brooklyn however, is “clearly sitting tight” right now, as one WC executive tells me. In other words, even if the Nets were to move Irving, it wouldn’t be anytime soon,” reported Jordan Schultz.
That also confirms an earlier report from ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski. Per Woj, the Nets are fielding calls for the former NBA Champion, albeit the rumors of a swap for Ben Simmons are unrealistic:
“Daryl Morey has called all over the league, talked to teams about star players everywhere, trying to find a deal for Ben Simmons. One team he has not called I’m told is the Brooklyn Nets. He has not lobbed a call to Sean Marks, their GM about Kyrie Irving. Brooklyn I’m told has taken incoming calls from teams on Kyrie Irving, but they have not themselves made any calls about Irving. Brooklyn and Philadelphia with these two players in limbo, they have not talked to each other about a Simmons for Kyrie Irving trade,” said Wojnarowski.
Kyrie is incredibly talented but it seems like basketball hasn’t been a priority for him for quite some time now, and that’s perfectly fine. So, it wouldn’t be shocking to see the Nets try and get rid of him and his big contract rather sooner than later.