Kyrie Irving, the star of the Brooklyn Nets, requested a trade and skipped the team’s pre–game walkthrough on Saturday, leaving Nets head coach Jacque Vaughn to speculate what Irving’s future holds.
Vaughn expressed his disappointment, saying “you have a responsibility as a basketball player as I do as a coach. I show up, I do my job every single day. That’s what I signed up for. And that’s my expectations for one through 17.”
The Nets reportedly offered Irving a contract with stipulations based on his availability baked into the final year of his deal. His camp balked and requested a trade six days ahead of the February 9 NBA trade deadline. Irving has expressed no desire to return to the Nets in free agency this summer, and potential suitors include the Los Angeles Lakers, Dallas Mavericks, Phoenix Suns, and Miami Heat.
Vaughn said he spoke to his players on Friday in an effort to keep their minds on the task at hand. He encouraged them to “show up and do their job.” He added, “I said to them, ‘We’re not gonna make this weird. We’re here to play, we’re here to do a job. Show up and do your job.’”
Irving is in the final year of his contract and can become an unrestricted free agent at the end of the season. The Nets can offer him a four–year contract worth $198M but have been reluctant to do so given Irving’s history of missing games and causing controversy off the court. Irving served an eight–game suspension earlier this season for “conduct detrimental to the team” and has missed a number of games due to injury.
The latest Irving saga comes as the team began to find a groove with Durant sidelined due to injury. Irving was named an All–Star starter this season. He is averaging 27 points, five rebounds, and five assists per game. He has played in 10 of the 11 games the Nets have played without Durant and has played at least 38 minutes in all but one of those games.
However, the fate of the team now hangs in the balance as the February 9 NBA trade deadline approaches. Whether Irving stays in Brooklyn or moves on to a new team, only time will tell.
