NBA rumors began swirling last week about the future of the Brooklyn Nets when it was revealed that they had reached an impasse with Kyrie Irving. Irving had a player option for the 2022-23 season that he was trying to leverage into a bigger contract. So, the sides engaged in a game of chicken.
The Nets were unwilling to offer him a long-term contract, which is understandable given that Irving has been unreliable when it comes to availability to play. It was rumored that six teams could be potential landing spots for Irving; the Los Angeles Lakers, LA Clippers, New York Knicks, Dallas Mavericks, Miami Heat and Philadelphia 76ers.
Looming over all of this is Kevin Durant, who was monitoring the situation. Had Irving moved on, he likely would have requested a trade as well. That was a doomsday scenario for the Nets, but it won’t be happening, at least not right now.
The Nets called Irving’s bluff and won the battle. He was likely met with a very cold market and decided to opt into his contract for the 2022-23 season. This is a best-case scenario for Brooklyn, as Durant will remain with the team for at least one more season as well.
LATEST NBA NEWS AND TRADE RUMORS: This Lakers-Nets Trade Swaps Kyrie Irving, Russell Westbrook
By opting in, Irving is now ineligible for the long-term contract that he was hoping to land this offseason. But, he could still eventually be moved. His $36 million contract could become a solid trade chip as an expiring deal.
Could a reunion with LeBron James on the Los Angeles Lakers still occur down the road? While making an appearance on ESPN’s Get Up, Brian Windhorst floated the idea that Brooklyn could revisit an Irving for Russell Westbrook swap down the line.
This was something discussed a little bit when it looked like there was a chance Irving could be leaving the Nets last week but didn’t gain much traction. This would certainly be a headline-grabbing deal, as former dynamic duos would be teaming up once again.
LATEST NBA NEWS AND TRADE RUMORS: This Lakers-Nets Trade Swaps Kyrie Irving, Russell Westbrook
Irving and James had a ton of success when teamed up on the Cleveland Cavaliers, winning one championship. Westbrook and Durant found a lot of success when playing together with the Oklahoma City Thunder before Durant decided to leave for the Golden State Warriors, where he won two titles.
This is a swap that the Lakers would likely do in a heartbeat, as Irving has already proven how much better of a fit alongside James that he is than Westbrook. With Ben Simmons already on the roster, it is hard to imagine the Brooklyn Nets getting too excited about adding another non-shooter in Westbrook to the mix. But, if they can extract some draft capital out of the Lakers in the deal, they may be open to it.
