Getty LeBron James, Kyrie Irving, and Kevin Durant at the 2018 All-Star Game.
Despite being one of the most skilled players the NBA has ever seen, the market for a Kyrie Irving blockbuster trade is scarce. It has been duly noted that it will be the Los Angeles Lakers or nothing for the All-Star guard. After playing in just 103 games in his three seasons with the Brooklyn Nets, rival teams are skeptical about surrendering too many assets in a potential deal for Irving.
Just as trade talks between the Nets and Lakers had seemingly hit a standstill, Lakers star LeBron James’ close associate, Cuffs The Legend, reignited them. He hinted that the deal isn’t dead “until you hear Kyrie says he doesn’t want to play for the Lakers,” as noted by Brandon “Scoop B” Robinson of Bally Sports.
Kyrie Irving joining the Lakers is a real thing hints LeBron James associate @CuffsTheLegend “until you hear Kyrie say he doesn’t wanna play for the Lakers.”
“The whole Kyrie thing is crazy.”
“Where there’s smoke there’s fire.”
Cuffs also seemed to confirm the deal still had legs in a tweet responding to the insider.
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Cuffs Sounds off on Kyrie’s Personality
Kyrie has a unique personality, to say the least. But the uniqueness of his demeanor often leads to harsh criticisms by media members. Cuffs explains that some people are hard on Kyrie because of his other-worldly talent.
“They give Kyrie Irving a hard time because he’s so f******* talented, man,” Cuffs said of Kyrie on the “Scoop B Radio” Podcast.
“It’s like the Chris Brown thing. You know how talented Chris Brown is and you remember when he went through his crackhead phase right before our eyes? It’s like, damn man, stop doing drugs and make the music and give the people what they want! Show us your talent! And with Kyrie Irving, I think we as fans want to see his talent. Stop all the bull jive. Just play basketball.”
Shams: Kyrie Remains Committed to Nets
Despite him opting into the final year of his deal ahead of the free agency period, Kyrie trade rumors have run rampant this offseason. But Shams Charania of “The Athletic” reported on July 25 that Irving desires to stay with the Nets, whether or not Kevin Durant gets traded.
“Kyrie Irving, he opted in with the full intent of playing out next season as a Brooklyn Net. From everything I’ve been told, in his mind he’s playing next year in Brooklyn with or without Kevin Durant in a lot of ways,” Charania said of Irving’s status on the “Pat McAfee Show” on July 25.
“Kyrie Irving opted in, I think there was an understanding that he was going to make the best decision for himself, and Kevin Durant, on the other hand, is obviously making his decision as well. From everything I’ve been told, Kyrie Irving has made his intent he wants to play out next season in Brooklyn.”
When Kyrie committed to join the Nets in 2019, he did so with the hopes of building a new culture in Brooklyn. But he and his co-star KD learned quickly that creating a winning culture isn’t all glamour.
But despite all the hardships they have faced, the Nets are in a prime position to be among the top contenders in the Eastern Conference next season. With all the tools to get it done, the pressure will be on for them to deliver.
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