The Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving saga does not appear to be coming to a conclusion anytime soon. With each passing day, a new twist in this story leaves Brooklyn Nets supporters as well as other fans perplexed. And the newest report is no exception.
According to recent reports, there is considerable speculation within the league that Durant requested a trade with an underlying intent. ESPN’s Dave McMenamin appeared on The Lowe Post?and shed some new light on the Brooklyn situation. He mentioned that a “school of thought” in the league is that KD demanding a trade was not driven by a desire to leave the city. In fact, it was more about pressing the Nets to trade Irving.
"There is a school of thought speaking to people around the league that they think the Kevin Durant trade request wasn't actually about him getting out of Brooklyn, it was about getting Kyrie Irving out of Brooklyn."
ESPN's Dave McMenamin on The Lowe Post. pic.twitter.com/Ae4WClbcOv
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) July 19, 2022
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Kyrie Irving has missed a significant number of games in recent seasons. And each time, the reasons for him missing games seemingly stretched beyond any injuries. Last season, he played only 29 games. Irving’s absence largely stemmed from his infamous decision not to get vaccinated, which rendered him ineligible to play at all.
As this new report circulates on social media, it suggests that Kevin Durant is sick of Irving’s unreliability. KD and Irving, being the good friends that they are, teamed together in 2019 to try and deliver the Brooklyn Nets its first title. However, the pairing of two of the most skilled players in the league’s history has not been beneficial for the franchise.
The tandem of Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving hasn’t proved fruitful for the Nets yet
Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving joined forces, hoping to silence their critics together. The two formed a formidable pairing in Brooklyn that was poised to take over the league. Moreover, they added another offensive juggernaut in James Harden.
Brooklyn staked their future on this supergroup. They surrendered draft compensation and pushed themselves monetarily. However, it all proved catastrophic. Injuries and personal problems have all played as roadblocks to the franchise’s quest for an elusive championship.
Irving’s choice to not get vaccinated last season had a far-reaching impact on the Brooklyn Nets. They never saw their roster perform at full strength.
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Furthermore, Harden, dissatisfied with the franchise on Irving’s stance, requested a trade that landed him at the Philadelphia 76ers. With Harden gone and Irving and Durant missing games, the Nets’ chemistry suffered tremendously. The Boston Celtics?then swept Brooklyn in the playoffs. To summarise, “Scary Hours” was a massive failure.
THE SWEEP IS COMPLETE 🧹
The @celtics hold off a late Nets charge to take the series 4-0! pic.twitter.com/lwO3Psk6Li
— NBA on TNT (@NBAonTNT) April 26, 2022
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The Brooklyn Nets find themselves in yet another conundrum.?What will happen next in this bizarre saga? Only time will tell.
Where do you think Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving will play next season? Let us know in the comments below.