It sounds like Kyrie Irving won’t be suiting up again for the Brooklyn Nets.
The news comes a day after Irving sat with “calf soreness.” Hopefully, his calf is well-rested by the time he finds a new home.
Irving publicly demanded a trade on Friday, two days after the Nets were drilled on the road against his former team the Boston Celtics, 139-96.
The Nets’ decision is best for both parties as there’s no incentive for Irving to play and risk injuring himself further. He wants a new contract and the Nets want the best possible return for their star point guard. Having Irving remain off the court is the best way for that to happen.
The decision means Irving could potentially be in the Western Conference for the first time in his career the next time he plays. The Clippers, Lakers, Mavericks and Suns are all linked to Irving and LeBron James went on the record Saturday night making it clear he thinks Irving would make the Lakers championship contenders.
A potential “Big Three” involving Irving, James and Anthony Davis looks good on paper, but so does one with Paul George, Kawhi Leonard and Irving, which would be the case if he was traded to the Clippers.
The dynamic in Phoenix is harder to forecast because a deal would almost certainly involve Chris Paul leaving the Suns. He’s been elemental to the team’s rise the past few seasons while Irving — as talented as he is — has never been a great leader on the court. His teams have always been best when he has a generational star next to him.
That being the case, a union with Luka Doncic in Dallas makes sense only if Irving would be willing to defer to the Mavericks star.
Fittingly, Brooklyn plays the Clippers and Suns in its two games prior to the trade deadline. Perhaps Irving will switch sides mid-game in an homage to Hulk Hogan’s turn toward the “New World Order” and away from “Hulkamania” in 1996.
With the Nets fourth in the east, it would be surprising to see them trade Irving within the conference. That shouldn’t stop a team like the Miami Heat from kicking the tires on a potential trade, as little sense as it would make for the Nets to go in that direction.
Irving’s played 40 out of a possible 52 games and is averaging 27.1 points, 5.3 assists and 5.1 rebounds on 48.6 percent shooting.
However it plays out, he’s likely played his last game in Brooklyn. We only say “likely” because when it comes to Irving, nothing is ever 100 percent. As unpredictable as Irving is, there’s no telling how this saga ends.
