Kyrie Irving reportedly has requested a trade from the Nets.
Brooklyn also has been informed the All-Star prefers to move on ahead of the Feb. 9 trade deadline or he will leave in free agency, according to The Athletic’s Shams Charania. Irving is in the final year of his four-year deal he signed in 2019.
The two sides had tried to work out a contract extension, but a new deal could not be reached, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski. The extension was not well received, according to Charania.
The Nets are fourth in the Eastern Conference, as of Friday. But a blowout loss to the Celtics on Wednesday showed Brooklyn is a tier below Boston among title contenders.
The All-NBA guard’s reported trade request comes after Kevin Durant also requested a move away from the Nets this past offseason. A deal could not be reached, and the All-NBA forward agreed to stay in Brooklyn have discussions with management.
That only was the beginning of the drama in Brooklyn this season. Durant had cited problems with then-head coach Steve Nash, but the franchise parted ways with him in his third year. The Nets tried to pursue Celtics suspended head coach Ime Udoka, but owner Joe Tsai reportedly was talked away from that option, and Jacque Vaughn was promoted to full-time head coach.
After multiple disputes over his unvaccinated status, Irving was in headlines again over sharing a link to an anti-Semitic film. The 30-year-old initially refused to apologize over his promotion of the movie, but after he was issued a suspension by the Nets, he apologized and completed the necessary steps to rejoin the team.
Ben Simmons also has not been the impact addition the Nets were hoping for, which reportedly has led to internal “frustration.”
Brooklyn likely will want considerable value in return for the All-NBA guard, but it’s not known what the team’s chemistry will look like if Irving is not dealt by the trade deadline next Thursday.
There were rumors last offseason the Lakers could make a move to reunite LeBron James with Irving. Los Angeles has discussed trading Russell Westbrook to the Utah Jazz, according to Bleacher Report’s Chris Haynes. That would open up a spot in the rotation for Irving if that deal gets done.
Durant is at the beginning of his four-year deal with the Nets, and it appears his partnership with Irving will end with zero championships together.
