Getty John Wall and Kyrie Irving at the 2015 NBA All-Star Game.
The Brooklyn Nets seem to finally be putting all the pieces together in this very young NBA season. The Nets are now winners of four straight games and have a record of 14-5 which is tops in the Eastern Conference playoffs standings. In addition, Nets’ star James Harden seems to finally be finding his stride after a slow start to the season. He has eclipsed the 20-point mark in 5 of his last 7 games including a season-high 39 points against the New Orleans Pelicans on November 12. Brooklyn, despite the turmoil they have faced this season is starting to become a well-oiled machine.
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Trade Proposal Has Nets Move Kyrie Irving for John Wall
The Nets have done all of this despite the absence of their All-Star point guard Kyrie Irving. For those who may be tardy to the party, Irving has been excluded from all team activities until he gets the first dose of the coronavirus vaccine. For that reason, Ben Stinar of “Sports Illustrated” believes that the Nets should trade Irving to the Houston Rockets in exchange for 5-time All-Star point guard John Wall.
“The Brooklyn Nets are contending for an NBA title, and the Houston Rockets are the worst team in the NBA. Therefore, I think that the two teams should make a big trade. Kyrie Irving is a seven-time All-Star guard and has not played in a single game this season for the Nets due to the vaccine mandate in New York City. The Rockets are also the worst team in the entire NBA with a 2-16 record. I believe that the two teams should swap Irving and [John] Wall.” Stinar writes via “Sports Illustrated.”
“The Nets are built to have a big three of Irving, Kevin Durant, and James Harden, with older veterans as the supporting cast. Without Irving, they’re missing a large chunk of what their roster was built to be. They’re off to a good start to the regular season, but in the playoffs, they could easily be sent home early,” Stinar continues.
“Last season, they lost in the second round of the playoffs in a Game 7 on their home floor against the Milwaukee Bucks. The Nets had Harden and Durant in the game, but Irving was out with an injury for the last few games of the series. Clearly, they have a lot to prove without him.”
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Both Nets and Rockets Benefit From an Irving & Wall Swap
After drafting guard Jaylen Green with the number two overall pick in the 2021 NBA Draft, it was clear that John Wall’s days in Houston were numbered. The Rockets have essentially chosen to sideline Wall but are not willing to trade him unless they are getting a significant haul for the All-Star point guard. But the combination of Wall’s salary, age, and the fact that he is coming off of two major injuries all make it more difficult to trade him. But introducing another max player like Kyrie into the equation makes executing a trade a lot easier for Houston.
“The Rockets have nothing to lose with Wall because they aren’t playing him. He averaged 20.6 points and 6.9 assists per game last season. No, he is not of the same caliber of Irving, but he would perfectly fill the role that Irving was supposed to play on the Nets. He could be a scorer and a facilitator, which is what Irving does. Wall’s massive salary ($44,310,840, according to Spotrac) makes him tough to trade. Yet, Irving’s large salary ($34,916,200, according to Spotrac) would make a deal much easier. Their salaries are not exactly a match, but a deal could easily get done,” Stinar writes.
“The Nets have multiple trade exceptions, according to Spotrac, or they could add another player to the swap. Who knows if Irving would even want to suit up for the Rockets, but he would not have the vaccine mandate rule of New York City, so he’d be eligible for all of their games. If Irving didn’t want to play there then the Rockets still have him to trade, or could simply waive him or buy him out and save money. Maybe the Rockets could even get a sweetener from the Nets such as a second-round pick. If they only traded Wall, they would have gotten Irving essentially for free, because Wall wasn’t playing for them all season anyway. Durant is 33-years-old, so the Nets need to do everything they can to win at least one championship over the next few years. Wall would help them achieve that goal. Both teams should consider making this deal.”
The Nets at 14-5 have silenced all of their doubters so far this season. Adding an All-Star caliber player like Wall who can immediately contribute would significantly enhance their chances of winning this year’s championship.
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