Getty Kyrie Irving is on the move after being traded by the Brooklyn Nets.
Kyrie Irving finally got his wish with his second trade request to the Brooklyn Nets, and the NBA star took to Twitter to share his thoughts following being dealt to the Dallas Mavericks. Despite his obvious unhappiness in Brooklyn, Irving noted, “it will always be love from me and my family” when it comes to the Nets.
“Thank you NetsWorld fans and supporters for the Love on and off the court,” Irving tweeted on February 6, 2023. “I will forever be grateful I got to live out my dream I had as a Kid with y’all. It will always be Love from me and my family.🤞🏾♾”
Irving’s second tweet took a more serious tone as the point guard pointed to “Ancestors and The Universe” for helping guide him through the process on his future.
“Pouring Libations for all of the Ancestors and The Universe,” Irving added. “Thank you for the Guidance and Assistance along the journey. I honor you
and I love you. Blessings Hélà 🤞🏾♾.”
How Will Kevin Durant Respond to the Kyrie Irving Trade?
Perhaps bigger than the actual Irving trade is how Kevin Durant will respond to the blockbuster deal given his own recent trade request. The NBA superstar has remained quiet during the latest Irving saga, but ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reported that Durant was “surprised” by the latest push for a trade.
“That’s really the bigger storyline … and that’s the teams who are watching what happens with Kyrie Irving are really much more interested in Kevin Durant’s response to this,” Wojnarowski detailed on a February 3 edition of SportsCenter. “I’m told that the trade request surprised everyone in Brooklyn today including Kevin Durant.”
Kyrie Irving Took Issue to Nets’ Contract Offer That Was Tied to an NBA Title: Report
The latest friction between Irving and Brooklyn centered over talks on a contract extension. Bleacher Report’s Chris Haynes reported that Irving took issue to the Nets’ offer which was “tied to team winning a championship.”
“Kyrie Irving’s camp did not negotiate after Brooklyn Nets presented an offer that was tied to team winning a championship, league sources tell @NBAonTNT, @BleacherReport,” Haynes tweeted on February 3. “Told the issue was not about money, and now it’s said he wouldn’t even stay if offered a full max contract.”
Kyrie Irving Had ‘Unsalvageable Differences’ With the Nets Which Led to Mavericks Trade
Despite a volatile tenure in Brooklyn, Irving still appeared to have a demand around the NBA with the Nets fielding offers from a number of teams including the Mavericks, Suns, Lakers and Clippers, per The Athletic’s Shams Charania. The league insider noted that Irving’s trade request was tied to “unsalvageable differences” with the franchise.
“Irving’s trade request stunned the NBA, as he and Kevin Durant were in the midst of their best stretch as a duo since joining Brooklyn in 2019 and the Nets had emerged as a contender in the Eastern Conference,” Charania wrote on February 5. “But Irving asked out due to principle issues with the franchise, with league sources telling The Athletic that there were unsalvageable differences that had him headed toward a separation, regardless of what the Nets offered in contract extension talks over the past week.
“For the Mavericks, the move — stamped by owner Mark Cuban and general manager Nico Harrison as well as coach Jason Kidd — pairs the eight-time All-Star Irving with MVP candidate Luka Dončić. Dallas has been coveting an elite talent to pair with Dončić, and team sources say that they believe their organization’s culture and environment will be an ideal fit for Irving.”