NBA: Irving suddenly applied for a trade to leave the Nets and fell into turmoil again | Trade application | Durant | Kyrie Irving

[The Epoch Times, February 05, 2023](Comprehensive report by Epoch Times reporter Wang Yezhi) The NBA Brooklyn Nets have once again become the focus of public opinion. The head star Kyrie Irving (Kyrie Irving) filed a trade application, hoping to leave the Nets before this year’s trade deadline (February 10). The news that shocked all team members, including Kevin Durant, immediately rushed to the hot search list.

Kyrie Irving proposes trade due to difficult contract extension

In mid-2019, Irving signed a four-year, $136 million contract with the Nets. As early as the middle of last year, Irving began early contract renewal negotiations with the Nets, but the two sides did not reach an agreement. Statistics show that since Irving joined the Nets in 2019, he has played a total of 156 games (including the playoffs) in four seasons, while missing 150 games.

Due to the failure to renew his contract last year, Irving implemented the player option for the last year of his existing contract this year. After the end of this season, he will become a completely free agent. It is expected that many teams in the league will be interested in him.

The reason why Irving requested an early deal was because he and the Nets could not reach a contract extension agreement. What Irving is looking for is a four-year $200 million new contract extension, but the Nets are only willing to provide a two-year contract with binding clauses, which means that only when certain conditions are met can they get a full contract. amount of wages. Owen believes that a player of his level deserves a fully guaranteed contract. If additional conditions are added to the contract, it will be a humiliation to himself.

Nets have lost faith in Irving

Why are the Nets unwilling to agree to Irving’s contract extension request? Mainly because Irving has indeed caused a lot of trouble for the Nets in recent years. After coming to the Nets in 2019, as the core of the team, Irving has a lot of right to speak, and this right is also given by the Nets. He also did provide a lot of help to the team formation, and Durant was recruited by him. It is conceivable that without Irving, Durant would never join the Nets, and it would be difficult for the Nets to enter the championship.

After joining the Nets, Irving questioned the coaching staff, complained about the team’s rotation, and expressed dissatisfaction with the former coach Atkinson, which led to the team’s coaching change. The Nets boss decided to let his friend Nash take over the team . For the team at the time, it was hard to say whether these operations were good or bad. But looking back, Nash obviously failed as a head coach.

Irving’s biggest impact on the Nets occurred during the epidemic. He refused to be vaccinated, so he missed a lot of games; later, when the epidemic control was relaxed, he could only play some away games, which had a great impact on the Nets’ record and the atmosphere in the locker room. Seeing Irving being so willful and not putting the game first, Harden, one of the “Big Three” of the Nets, was disheartened. In the end, “Big Beard” left Brooklyn for Philadelphia with full of complaints, and the “Big Three” of the Nets disintegrated.

This season, Irving was punished by the team and the league for suspected anti-Semitic remarks, and almost lost his chance to continue playing in the NBA. Fortunately, he finally admitted his mistake in time and did not expand the situation further.

Irving files for trade with Nets

In fact, in the past two years, the turmoil of the Nets has never stopped. Before the start of this season, Durant applied to the Nets to leave the team. At that time, more than half of the teams in the league made inquiries to the Nets; but the Nets management raised the price and scared away all the next players. In the end, Durant reached an apparent settlement with Nets owner Joe Tsai. And Irving also said at the time that he would stay with Durant and fight for another season.

So far this season, the Nets have been revived under the leadership of coach Vaughn. Especially when Durant is healthy and the team is well-organized, the Nets have once again demonstrated the strength of the league’s top championship team. As the second in charge, Irving’s performance this season is also quite reliable.

Irving has played 40 games this season, the highest attendance rate of his Nets career. He averaged 37.0 minutes per game, handed over 27.1 points, 5.1 rebounds, 5.3 assists, and 1.0 steals. When Durant was absent due to injury, Irving led the team alone, and his performance was still very good. He has just been selected into this year’s Eastern Conference All-Star starting lineup.

Currently, the Nets have a record of 31 wins and 20 losses, ranking fourth in the Eastern Conference. When Durant returns from injury, the Nets’ ranking may improve. Just when the Nets fans saw the hope of winning the championship again, Irving suddenly submitted a trade application, which surprised everyone. Obviously, the relationship between Irving and the management has reached the point where it is impossible to continue to cooperate.

Irving plays Nets final game

After submitting the trade application, the Nets played against the Washington Wizards at home, and Irving did not play. The Nets placed Irving on the injured list, labeling it “calf soreness.” The outside world generally believes that in order to trade Irving and avoid him being injured before the trade, the Nets made up a reason to let him truce. Many people believe that Irving’s last game with the Nets is over.

Before the game, Nets fans at Barclays Center booed Irving as his image appeared on the big screen. Fans want to see the team win, and they use this to express their dissatisfaction.

The Nets players did not disappoint their fans. Despite the absence of Irving and Durant, Thomas scored 44 points, 6 rebounds and 5 assists off the bench, and Sumner also scored 29 points. In the game, the Nets fell behind the Wizards by 23 points, but the players did not give up. In the end, the Nets beat the Wizards 125:123 at home.

Nets turmoil, Durant fears leaving

When Irving submitted the trade application, he did not give the Nets his favorite next home list. Now, Owen has lost the initiative. With his contract expiring after this season, teams looking to acquire him aren’t sure if he’ll renew, and with his headstrong temper, they’re not expected to pay much for quality chips. .

The Nets, who are not short of money, are also very willful. At worst, they will rebuild and will never compromise. For the Nets, if Irving is lost, the team will bid farewell to the championship. Whether Durant will stay with the team, the answer is definitely no. According to US media reports, Durant privately expressed that he was completely disappointed with the Nets management and that he wasted too much time in the Nets.

If you put aside the championship, Irving’s application for a trade is actually good for the Nets. If he leaves directly when he becomes a free agent at the end of the season, the Nets will get nothing in return. And Irving is also clearly expressing his attitude. If the team does not renew the contract, I refuse to compete for the team.

After running the Nets for the past few years, the boss Cai Chongxin may really have to consider whether he is suitable for the NBA. In the history of the NBA, there has never been a situation where three leading stars have applied for a trade to leave the team. Although the NBA is also a business, managing a team may be very different from other businesses. According to US media reports, many wealthy tycoons have long been eyeing the Nets, and it should not be difficult to sell the Nets. At present, no one knows how this farce of the Nets will end.

Responsible editor: Zheng Huang