Kyrie Irving Has Reportedly Requested A Trade From The Nets

Kyrie Irving’s time with the Brooklyn Nets may be coming to an end. According to a report by Shams Charania of The Athletic, Irving, who is in the midst of the final year of his contract before hitting unrestricted free agency this summer, has gone to the team’s front office and request a move ahead of next week’s trade deadline.

The report was confirmed by Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN, who did not confirm whether or not Irving explicitly told the team that he will walk away if he becomes a free agent in the summer. Chris Haynes of Bleacher Report, meanwhile, tweeted that the two sides could not come to terms on an extension.

Irving is not the first Nets star to request a trade in recent months, as Kevin Durant told the front office he wanted a move over the summer. Brooklyn held firm, though, and did not send Durant elsewhere, which led to Durant withdrawing his request and having one of his best seasons as a professional during the 2022-23 campaign prior to an MCL injury that he suffered a few weeks back.

But despite Brooklyn sitting at 31-20, good for fourth place in the Eastern Conference, Irving would like to pursue greener pastures. His year has been mired in controversy, as he was suspended by the team over a saga where he refused to denounce antisemitism after sharing an antisemitic film to his Twitter account. Before the season began, there was speculation that Durant’s desire to leave Brooklyn could lead to the team opting to part ways with Irving, too, as the Los Angeles Lakers were reportedly in the market to acquire his services. It is unclear of L.A. would still like to bring him on board.