It was an incredibly rough start to the 2022-23 season for Kyrie Irving, but he only had himself to blame for it. He found himself in deep trouble after sharing a link to a film that had been described as antisemitic and his initial refusal to back down, led to the Brooklyn Nets suspending him.
After returning though, Kyrie acted like a model citizen, as he was letting his play on the court do all the talking for him. He is averaging 27.1 PPG, 5.3 APG, and 5.1 RPG this season and had played his part in helping the Nets bounce back from a slow start to the campaign. Despite Irving playing well and staying out of trouble though, the Nets still weren’t interested in giving him the long-term deal he wanted.
It eventually led to Kyrie requesting a trade on Friday and details have since emerged on what exactly are Irving’s demands as he is a free agent in the summer. NBA insider Adrian Wojnarowski is reporting that the guard is looking for a deal worth nearly $50 million per year.
Kyrie Irving is seeking a contract in the neighborhood of a four-year, $198.5 million, per @wojespn pic.twitter.com/hG5Fa2jDmw
— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) February 3, 2023
“Kyrie Irving is seeking a contract in the neighborhood of a four-year, $198.5 million, per @wojespn”
The Nets recently offered Irving a deal with guarantee stipulations, which he rejected, so it is clear he is looking for a fully-guaranteed deal in that ballpark. The Nets would be hesitant to give him that kind of a contract and they aren’t the only ones, as the Los Angeles Lakers are unsure about trading for him because of the exact same reason.
Kyrie Irving Might Have Requested A Trade To Pressure The Nets Into Giving Him An Extension
Considering how late this trade request has come in, the Nets do not have a lot of time to act here. Wojnarowski also reported that the Nets as well as Kevin Durant were surprised by the request, so it clearly isn’t something they were preparing for either. The deadline is less than a week away, so they need to come to a decision pretty quickly on what they plan to do with Kyrie Irving.
An anonymous NBA player speculated that Irving could have requested this trade to force the Nets to give him the extension. It remains to be seen if it does work, but you have to say that keeping him around for the rest of the season, without an extension, isn’t ideal after this incident. He basically has one foot out of the door and you are not going to win a championship unless everyone is locked in.
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