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The Brooklyn Nets have received trade interest from both Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving. However, they are yet to make a final decision.
Earlier this week, we referred to the possibility of the Los Angeles Lakers going all-in and trading for both superstars. If this doesn't happen, though, the Nets should decide who will leave the team first.
According to Brad Turner of the Los Angeles Times, the Brooklyn Nets have no intention of letting Irving go before they trade Durant.
“I do think at some point before they get to camp, Kyrie is playing for the Lakers,” Turner said on a recent podcast appearance, via ClutchPoints on Twitter.
“The Lakers just have to be patient. From everything I’ve read & been told, the Nets will not do anything regarding Kyrie until they trade Kevin Durant.”
This could be a major roadblock for the Lakers, who are the only team that has shown significant interest in the multi-time All-Star.
The Lakers and Nets have already held preliminary talks regarding a Kyrie Irving trade. But it will be difficult to reach an agreement without a third team.
The team could be the San Antonio Spurs, who are in rebuild mode following Dejounte Murray's trade to the Atlanta Hawks.
"The Brooklyn Nets and Los Angeles Lakers have held preliminary discussions on a Kyrie Irving trade, and sources indicate the teams are exploring the potential of pulling the San Antonio Spurs into a multi-team deal," Eric Pincus of Bleacher Report says.
Lakers' superstar LeBron James has put pressure on the team to bring in Kyrie Irving, so the 17-time NBA champions will do their best to land the 7-time All-Star.
James' pressure, though, has created a divide between him and some Lakers executives, who want to trade for other players.
“I think there’s a slight divide right now where LeBron wants Kyrie and some people internally might prefer a Myles Turner/Buddy Hield type deal,” Jovan Buha of The Athletic said, via The Lakers Review.
Brooklyn Nets' trade demands have paused talks with teams interested in a Kevin Durant trade
Four top franchises are expected to pursue a Kevin Durant trade. The Toronto Raptors, Phoenix Suns, Golden State Warriors and Miami Heat are the teams interested.
The Brooklyn Nets' trade demands have paused any talks for the time being, though. The Nets have requested an All-Star player, a Rising Star and multiple first-round picks and pick swaps.
Brooklyn has received interest from Durant, but they were expecting the 'bidding war to be hotter', Windhorst said.
"I think [the Nets] thought there was going to be a tremendous bidding war and while there's a lot of interest, from what I can tell, that bidding war isn't really hot right now."
It is clear that both superstars want to leave Brooklyn, but it could take a significant amount of time before this happens.
The Nets will look to prioritize trading Kevin Durant. But if the Lakers create a lucrative package and find a third team as a facilitator, then Kyrie Irving could be the first to part ways with Brooklyn.
Kyrie Irving is on an expiring contract ($36.5M), while Kevin Durant has four years and $194.2M left on his contract.
Guess the Lakers players!
