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Ever since the Brooklyn Nets lost to the defending NBA champion Milwaukee Bucks in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals, everyone has been trying to find a way to get Kyrie Irving out of Brooklyn. But what once seemed like a mere pipe dream has increasingly become a reality. Especially since Kyrie could miss more than half of the season because he refuses to take the coronavirus vaccine. A mandate for him to play at Barclays Center.
In the latest trade proposal from Andy Bailey of Bleacher Report, Kyrie is the headliner of a monster five-team trade, which lands the 7-time All-Star in Sacramento in exchange for Kings guard De’Aaron Fox.
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Proposal Has Nets Trade Kyrie Irving for De’Aaron Fox
“Even if Fox’s ceiling may not be quite as high as Irving’s, knowing you have him for the bulk of the season and all of the playoffs (again, barring injury) might be preferable. In terms of functionality, Fox doesn’t space the floor like Irving, but his slashing ability would be devastating when surrounded by James Harden, Kevin Durant, Joe Harris, and Blake Griffin,” Bailey writes per Bleacher Report.
“Last season, on a team that was 19th in the league in threes per 100 possessions and 16th in three-point percentage, Fox shot an outrageous 76.2 percent on shots within three feet of the rim (sixth among all players with at least as many attempts). Defenses would be nowhere near as comfortable collapsing on Fox’s lightning-quick drives to the paint with Brooklyn. And if they did, he’d have plenty of high-end kick-out options.”
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Nets Land Wizards Guard as Part of Deal for Fox
Also included in the deal for the Nets would be Washington Wizards guard Kentavious Caldwell-Pope . “KCP” was one of the key pieces in the blockbuster trade that landed All-Star Russell Westbrook on the Los Angeles Lakers. While Caldwell-Pope is not a name that jumps off the page, he is a player that has championship experience. An area that the Nets are severely lacking in.
“As an added bonus, the Nets would get a bit of depth from a Finals-tested wing in KCP,” Bailey continues.
“He probably doesn’t quite make up for the talent lost by dealing Kyrie, but Caldwell-Pope can defend a variety of wings and guards and hit open threes. In lineups with ball-dominant offensive stars, you really can’t ask for much more from a role player.”
Nets Already Prepared for Kyrie To Miss Games
While Fox landing in Brooklyn is just an idea one thing is true. Irving still has yet to be vaccinated against the coronavirus. This makes him ineligible to play indoor basketball games in New York City. With the Nets season scheduled to kick-off on October 19, head coach Steve Nash says that the team is already preparing to play games without him.
“I think we recognize he’s not playing home games,” Nash said per Brian Lewis of the “New York Post.” “We’re going to have to for sure play without him this year. So, it just depends on when, where, and how much.”
The Nets title hopes are hanging in the balance due to the uncertainty of Kyrie’s availability. If he is going to be out for more than half of the season, you would have to think Brooklyn would at least consider moving him if the right opportunity presented itself.
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