Kyrie Irving tells Brooklyn Nets to commerce him earlier than deadline

Brooklyn Nets warmth magnet and resident conspiracy theorist Kyrie Irving desires 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, in response to Woj, citing sources. The guard is within the remaining yr of his four-year $136 million contract with Brooklyn.

“Right here’s Brooklyn hoping to get Kevin Durant again, maybe even earlier than the All-Star break, however on the newest, proper after the All-Star break, and pondering they’ve a chance, a window to make a run with this group, and now Kyrie Irving has requested the Brooklyn Nets to be traded forward of Thursday’s commerce deadline,” Woj mentioned whereas showing on ESPN programming.

Irving, the mercurial level guard who was No. 3 in our 2022 Fool of the Yr listing, 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.

The place Irving goes — and what group would need the headache — remains to be up within the air. In response to Woj, Irving hasn’t given the Nets a listing of groups he’d wish to be despatched to, however is taken with 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 e book 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 shade. 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 recognized flat earther, and anti-vaxxer, claiming his stance on the COVID-19 vaccine value him over $100 million.

“I gave up 4 years, 100-and-something million deciding to be unvaccinated and that was the choice,” Irving had mentioned at Nets media day in September. “[Get this] contract, get vaccinated or be unvaccinated and there’s a stage of uncertainty of your future, whether or not you’re going to be on this league, whether or not you’re going to be on this group, so I needed to cope with that real-life circumstance of shedding my job for this determination.”

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 frolicked off the courtroom coping with accidents.