Kyrie Irving – Brooklyn Nets
The Brooklyn Nets do not really have anything to worry about heading into the 2021-22 NBA season in terms of how their roster looks, but they could wind up being without Kyrie Irving for the entire 2021-22 season. Irving is not vaccinated and as a result, he is ineligible to play in Nets’ home games this year per New York City vaccine mandates.
While he can practice with the team and play in away games, the Brooklyn Nets have stated that they will not be using Kyrie Irving as a “part-time” player this season and as a result, he is out indefinitely until he either gets the vaccine or until New York lifts their vaccine mandates.
Kyrie Irving being out does not affect the Nets as much as it would affect other teams in this league because of the fact that they have two former league-MVPs in James Harden and Kevin Durant, but this is still a big blow to this team.
The Brooklyn Nets really believe that they can not only win one title, but numerous titles with all three All-Stars on the court together, but this marriage between Kyrie and Brooklyn may end up being short-lived. The Nets are not actively looking to trade Kyrie Irving at the moment, but they are willing to listen to offers for the 7x All-Star point guard.
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If the right offer comes their way, Brooklyn Nets’ GM Sean Marks is definitely not afraid to trade Kyrie Irving and he may have the blessing of Kevin Durant to do so. Recently on First Take, ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith stated that Durant would reportedly “not lose sleep” over Kyrie being traded.
As for James Harden, well he feels the opposite way. In the preseason, Harden spoke to reporters about Kyrie Irving’s situation of being unvaccinated and said that Irving was a big part of him coming to the Brooklyn Nets. “He’s just a special talent that you don’t really see often, so of course I would want him to be on the team. He’s one of the reasons why I came here,” Harden told the media.
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It is possible that Kyrie Irving could be traded at some point during the 2021-22 season, but it is also just as likely that he could wind up getting the vaccine and begin playing for the Brooklyn Nets again. No matter what you believe, this is definitely the No. 1 trade scenario to keep an eye on as the 2021-22 season progresses.
