Despite improving their roster and being named favorites for the 2022 championship, the Brooklyn Nets offseason has revolved around headlines involving Kyrie Irving.
And it seems they may be stuck with the point guard, according to Sports Illustrated’s Chris Mannix:
I was asking around for a couple of teams, just for their opinion on the trade value of Kyrie Irving. It’s virtually zero. I mean, he makes $35 million this year, and he’s as unpredictable as you get. So why would you give up anything of value to get him back in return.
The point guard’s vaccination status, among other things, has maintained him as one of the more controversial athletes in all professional sports today.
Because that same vaccination status, albeit unconfirmed, could result in Irving missing each of the Nets’ 41 home games in the upcoming 2021-2022 season, one with firm title aspirations.
New York City passed a mandate that will require all professional athletes of New York-based sports teams to have at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine in order to perform in the home arena.
Is the Kyrie Irving experiment long for Brooklyn? Are there any sensible trade partners for the Nets?
Fischer: Irving, Nets Not ‘Looking’ to Make a Move
Bleacher Report insider Jake Fischer provided some insight on the Kyrie Irving, Brooklyn Nets dynamic in his latest reporting from September 30th.
In talking to people around the league, he wasn’t given the impression that a trade is currently being considered:
Yet several league sources with knowledge of the situation strongly pushed back on the notion that either Irving or the Nets are looking to make such a move. “Kyrie came to Brooklyn to win a championship alongside Kevin Durant,” one veteran executive told B/R.
And it’s not the only time that Brooklyn and Irving have held firm on their (oftentimes) difficult partnership.
Fischer noted that in the Nets trade negotiations with the Houston Rockets for James Harden last year, that despite inquiries for the point guard, they refused to include him in a deal:
Last season, when the Nets engaged in trade talks to acquire Harden during Irving’s January hiatus, Houston inquired about Irving, but Brooklyn never entertained parting with him, sources told B/R.
Perhaps the Brooklyn Nets aren’t entertaining the idea of trading Kyrie Irving.
Or maybe, they’re just waiting for the right trade package to present itself.
Does a Ben Simmons-Kyrie Irving Swap Make Sense?
One name that’s circling the NBA’s rumor mill just as much, if not more, than Kyrie Irving is Ben Simmons.
After failing to perform in last year’s playoffs, resulting in a first-round out for the Philadelphia 76ers, the former first overall pick has requested a trade.
Would a star-for-star swap make sense for the Brooklyn Nets?
The same idea was proposed to Fischer and Bleacher Report in recent weeks when discussing Irving’s status:
Multiple team officials B/R contacted mentioned the possibility of a Nets-76ers blockbuster that would swap Irving for the disgruntled Ben Simmons, citing a natural solution for the league’s two buzziest controversies.
With the 76ers, Irving would be able to maintain his vaccination status and still suit up for all 82 games.
He’d provide Philadelphia the dynamic presence at point guard they’ve been lacking for seemingly all of Joel Embiid’s tenure with the team.
In Brooklyn, Simmons would get a fresh start playing next to perennial All-Stars in James Harden and Kevin Durant.
That fit is harder to envision, but on paper makes sense for the 76ers star, who needs premium floor spacing around him to be a productive force on both ends of the floor.
For now, it seems neither side is ready to budge on any trade involving Ben Simmons or Kyrie Irving, let alone a swap.
But as the 2021-2022 season inches closer and closer, pressure will only continue mounting for both the Brooklyn Nets and Philadelphia 76ers to address their brewing blockbusters.
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Kyrie Irving’s Trade Value is ‘Virtually Zero,’ Says Analyst