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Brooklyn Nets superstar Kyrie Irving continues to be the focus of the NBA's attention this summer.
Kevin Durant's face-to-face meeting with owner Joe Tsai reiterated his desire to be traded. Durant offered an ultimatum to the Nets ownership of either removing general manager Sean Marks and coach Steve Nash or trading him.
According to the New York Post, Kyrie Irving is also unhappy with the franchise and wants to leave the team. Irving's saga has been running simultaneously with Durant's. The Brooklyn Nets could lose their two best players in the same summer.
"Kyrie Irving hates these guys. He feels that Nash is terrible and Marks is bad. KD came to the same conclusion," the report from the New York Post read.
Irving is currently staying put as he exercised his player option. He did not leave $30 million on the table to sign with the LA Lakers for the mid-level exception.
Like Irving, Kevin Durant stays put with the Nets unless they trade him. Durant has four years left on his deal worth over $190 million, which means his only exit is via trade.
Ensuing drama between Kyrie Irving and the Brooklyn Nets
When the Brooklyn Nets landed Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving in the summer of 2019, they appeared to be a new NBA powerhouse. The Nets were the team to beat once Durant returned from rupturing his Achilles. However, the team has underperformed, falling short of expectations.
In his three seasons with the Nets, Kyrie Irving has played more than 30 games in just one season. His scoring output, however, has been tremendous. He is averaging 27.1 points per game for Brooklyn. Availability continues to be the biggest issue with Irving.
The Nets formed a Big Three twice. First, they brought James Harden to the team, but hamstring issues and a rift with Irving led to the Nets trading him. They replaced him with Ben Simmons, who has not stepped on the court in over a year.
During the 2021-22 NBA season, Irving was not allowed to participate in the games due to his anti-vaccination stance. However, after months of persisting, Eric Adams, the mayor of New York City, lifted the rule in the Big Apple. This rule change allowed Irving to participate in home games.
For these reasons, the Nets were unwilling to offer Irving the max extension. This choice led to Irving exercising his player option but making it clear that he wanted a move away from the franchise.
