Getty Kyrie Irving #11 of the Brooklyn Nets
Kevin Durant’s trade request with the Brooklyn Nets has been the number one sports talking point all summer long, but the talks intensified after the superstar forward issued Nets owner Joe Tsai an ultimatum. Durant basically told Tsai that he would only choose to stay in Brooklyn if the team fired its general manager, Sean Marks, and head coach Steve Nash. Tsai shared a public endorsement of his front office and coaching staff this week that seemingly draws a line in the sand with his stance on the Durant situation.
“Our front office and coaching staff have my support. We will make decisions in the best interest of the Brooklyn Nets,” Tsai tweeted.
With Durant likely to be moved from the Nets, Kyrie Irving likely will be traded too. Although signs and reports stated that Irving was feeling comfortable and in a “good place” with the Nets heading into next season if Durant, they likely would not elect to keep the All-Star point guard.
After the latest reports with Durant and also possible trades for Irving, the superstar took to Twitter with some interesting words.
Kyrie Irving Sounds Off on the Media
On Thursday, August 11, a news report from Ric Bucher shared more rumors he had heard on the Kyrie Irving contract negotiations with the Brooklyn Nets.
“I’m told [Kyrie Irving] wanted his new contract to guarantee he wouldn’t have to play more than 60 games in a season and would not have to play any back-to-backs,” Ric Bucher reported.
However, when the news hit Twitter, Irving quickly responded with a GIF of an MLB player taking off his hat implying that the rumor is “cap” or the gen-z word for a lying/not true.
After shooting down the rumor, Irving shared a tweet of his own encouraging people to look past the “media’s control.”
“When you’re ready to Break free from the media’s control over your subconscious thoughts and emotions, meet me on One of my platforms and let’s chop it up.
We the A11Even tribe love our conversations about the TRUTH and what is truly happening. Welcome to the PARADIGM SHIFT,” Irving tweeted.
Irving, who has been a media talking point all summer, again took exception to the latest media reports and called them not true. What happens next with he and the Nets will be interesting to see. We may not know what happened with his contract negotiations, but we do know it certainly is a relationship that needs mending or to be moved on from completely.
Lakers Still Pursuing Kyrie Irving
If the Nets choose to move on from Irving, they still have the Los Angeles Lakers as a potential suitor for Irving. Reports this week stated that the team, who has been hesitant to include two first round picks previously, is now open to including them in an Irving deal. On Wednesday, August 10, Kristian Winfield of the New York Daily News wrote that the Lakers have now offered both their 2027 and 2029 first round picks in Irving negotiations.
The Miami Heat were also named recently as a potential team that could reach back out and ‘revisit‘ a potential trade to land the star Nets point guard.