After an early exit from the postseason amid a slew of injuries that hindered what seemed to be an unstoppable Nets trio of superstars, Brooklyn Nets GM Sean Marks has already noted that the Nets roster will have a different look for the 2021-22 NBA season.
The Nets have one more shot to win a title before each member of the Big Three has to make a decision on a player option in their contract, and in the current age of player movement, it’s entirely possible that the Nets’ superteam experiment could be over quickly if things don’t go to plan next year. Yet according to Matt Sullivan, Irving could be available in a trade this summer after “annoying” some members of the organization.
Sullivan is the author of “Can’t Knock the Hustle: Inside the Season of Protest, Pandemic, and Progress with the Brooklyn Nets’ Superstars of Tomorrow,” which released on Tuesday. In a conversation with our friends from Celtics Wire on their podcast, Celtics Lab, Sullivan said that Nets ownership was unhappy with Irving over his midseason “pause,” and that Irving could be available for the right offer.
Via Celtics Lab 52:
Celtics Lab: “Kyrie Irving has a player option for ’22-’23. Kevin Durant has a player option for ’22-’23, and James Harden has a player option for ’22-’23. Do you think that the Brooklyn Nets win a championship in, let’s say the next five years, and is it with that big three?”
Matt Sullivan: “Let me give you guys a little news, I’m not sure that’s been out there. I’ve heard that Nets ownership was quite upset with Kyrie’s ‘pause,’ especially that maskless party that turned his psuedo-paternity leave into more like a COVID suspension. And in the last week I’ve heard rumblings – whispers, really, because cracking the Nets is kind of like breaking into the Kremlin, that Brooklyn GM Sean Marks would maybe, possibly, apparently be willing to at least listen to a trade offer for Kyrie this offseason.
Now, I’m not sure what the market for Kyrie is at this point. It’s not like Ben Simmons giving you the headache on the court. It’s that complex personality that comes from off the court. I think it’s been annoying some people in the franchise. I can’t speak to his teammates, who obviously want to play with one of the world’s best and get him back there.”
This post originally appeared on Nets Wire. Follow us on Facebook!
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