“KD didn’t want any part of Russ” Lakers’ trade idea of Russell Westbrook and Kyrie Irving reportedly killed Nets’ interest
Brooklyn Nets and Kyrie Irving’s contract situation was tougher than many expected, as they have not gotten any closer to find any sort of amicable solution before Monday. But now Kyrie decided to activate his player option, buying some time for the Nets to look for a fruitful deal. Just before the date “29th June” Kyrie helped his team with his decision, but many are considering that he would be traded anyway after the disastrous 3 seasons at Brooklyn. Things are trending in the opposite direction, while Nets GM Sean Marks and superstar forward Kevin Durant have yet to speak this offseason, Irving’s camp has requested and received permission from the Nets to speak with other teams about sign-and-trade packages
30-years old star appeared in 103 regular-season games for Brooklyn in a three-year run. In 1st year a nagging shoulder injury kept him away from the court, while in Year 2, he was absent for personal reasons. While everything looked ok in 3rd season, Irving’s unwillingness to get vaccinated against COVID-19 limited his game time. So the belief among both league and player circle is that Irving is gone and expected Seven-Eleven Era is never worked out as expected.
Kevin Durant blocking LA Lakers’ move for Kyrie Irving?
Trading one of the highest-paid athletes, with humongous talent, shouldn’t be a difficult task on paper, but in reality, due to his “unprofessional” behavior in recent seasons, no team is willing to take a risk, even though the player is a proven star. LeBron James and Los Angeles Lakers were the only team that showed strong interest, but they didn’t have the ‘returnable package’ for Irving.
Even before that possibility, as the Daily News reported in late May – The Nets have been unwilling to give Irving a long-term contract extension with significant financial guarantees. That led to a new team searching for the 2012 Rookie of the season. But they do not have the cap space to replace Irving if he leaves as a free agent, and the only teams that have the cap space to sign Irving would not fulfill Kyrie’s championship desire.
The Nets would want to get a star in return for Irving’s services to assemble a championship-caliber team around Durant. KD signed a four-year extension worth $198M in 2021 and if feels that the team is incapable of challenging for the championship, he can request a trade. But as per reports, he doesn’t want to play with his former guard star Russell Westbrook.
According to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, the Los Angeles Lakers were the only team interested in a sign-and-trade for Kyrie Irving with a trade package centered around the former MVP. But KD’s unwillingness to share the floor with Russ might have been a huge obstacle to clear for the team.
Part of the road that led KD to Brooklyn was when he left Oklahoma City for Golden State in the summer of 2016, telling 95.7, “You can’t learn about life if you’re the only player on the team… You’re the only player on the team
and nobody is just as good as you, nobody has that experience or that thought process of how you’re thinking as a ball player.”
While the two had a perceived brotherhood off the court, their playing style often clashed on it. Showing itself in many of the Thunder’s most pivotal playoff moments when they were together. Also interestingly six years after Durant’s trade from OKC, Slim Reaper is still at the top of his game, while Westbrook is coming off his most horrific season yet.
Also Read: “NBA Champion and Gold Medalist” Kyrie Irving savagely claps back at disrespectful Twitter meme
Kunal Chawda
(601 Articles Published)