NBA Trade Rumors: NBA teams rooting for Kyrie Irving to opt out of his contract in the hope of putting together a trade package for Kevin Durant
After another disappointing season and a first-round playoff exit, the Brooklyn Nets have a big decision to make about the point guard Kyrie Irving.
Irving has a player option on his contract, and if he exercises it, he will stay in Brooklyn for another year. However, he would like to get a maximum contract extension from the Nets, and this may not happen since he has missed so many games.
General manager Sean Marks did a fantastic job getting Kevin Durant and Irving on the same team, but the dream of winning a championship may be over.
Despite being called "Mr. Unreliable" during his time with the OKC Thunder, Durant is very reliable, and that's why many teams are wanting to trade for him.
Teams are hoping to trade for Kevin Durant this summer
The Brooklyn Nets would like to keep Kyrie Irving on the team on a shorter deal. This would either be the last year of his contract, in case he opts-in, or he'd sign a new short-term deal in case of an opt-out.
Kevin Durant and Irving are good friends, which is why the Nets are trying to figure out this situation. Durant is also competitive and is not happy with first-round exits, so the Nets will have to surround him with great players for a deep playoff run.
Kyrie Irving’s leverage in negotiations with the Nets is that Kevin Durant will want a trade if he leaves, per @wojespn.
However, there's a chance that we have already seen the last game of Durant and Irving as teammates. Much could happen this summer, and one of those things could be the Nets falling apart.
According to ESPN, some teams are rooting for Irving to opt-out of his contract and walk away from Brooklyn. This scenario would give them an opportunity to put together a trade package for Durant.
Despite the fact that he will turn 34 in September, Durant is still one of the NBA's best players. He is an elite-level scorer and knows what it takes to win it all.
The Nets cannot let Kyrie walk away
If the Nets let Irving walk away, losing Durant would be a likely scenario, as crazy as it sounds. Without the superstar point guard, Durant would be left with Ben Simmons, who is also unreliable.
Ideally, the Nets would re-sign Irving to a short-term deal and would then try to trade him to another team if he doesn't change.
Ben Simmons and Kyrie Irving! https://t.co/oFf4V1RvY8
Either way, they would get something out of the point guard, whether it's his incredible basketball skills or another star player.
James Harden forced his way out of Brooklyn last season, and now the Nets are dealing with a similar situation with Irving. It's safe to assume that Durant is not too happy about all of this, but we will see how much of it he will tolerate.