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’Quite Upset’: Author Explains Why Brooklyn Nets Are Open to Trading Away Kyrie Irving

Published 06/23/2021, 7:30 AM EDT

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USA Today via Reuters

All anybody could talk about after the Brooklyn Nets vs Milwaukee Bucks showdown in the Eastern Conference Semifinals was the future of their ‘Big Three’. After their premature and unexpected exit from the playoffs, if there was anyone they thanked, it was Kevin Durant. But almost always, someone takes the fall for a team’s failure. And this time, it might be Kyrie Irving.

Matt Sullivan, the author of the newly released book, “Can’t Knock the Hustle: Inside the Season of Protest, Pandemic, and Progress with the Brooklyn Nets’ Superstars of Tomorrow,” has made some revelations regarding Irving’s future with the Nets.

Trade in the books for Kyrie Irving?

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Brooklyn Nets‘ superstar Kyrie is known for being in and out of controversies. In fact, his negligence for the league’s health and safety protocols early in the season might have landed the Nets in the soup they are in. He ended up sitting out for too many games that had Brooklyn struggling.

USA Today via Reuters

Then when it came to it, his ankle injury was the icing on top. Hence, he missed the crucial games of the Bucks’ series as well. Now, each member of this trio has a player option in 22-23′. So when Matt was asked if KD, Kyrie, and Harden can win a championship together, he revealed something unexpected.

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Sullivan said, “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.”

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What can the Brooklyn Nets get for Kyrie in the market?

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Sullivan doesn’t know how they will make this trade happen. But it is definitely on the table. He explained that the situation isn’t as bad as the one with Simmons’, and he isn’t a liability on the court but his actions off of it are what are concerning.

“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,” Sullivan concluded.

USA Today via Reuters

The experiment of building a super team could be over sooner than fans thought. Do you think the Nets should consider letting go of Irving? Or is what Kyrie brings on the court enough to put up with his off-court antics?

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Written by:

Yashima Bhatia

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Yashima Bhatia is an NBA writer for EssentiallySports who specialises in providing nuanced predictions and updates for matches. She has a Bachelor's degree in journalism and mass communication. Yashima's love for playing the game came up at a young age, when the excitement of the games coupled with the intensity of the Playoffs had her hooked.
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