Hampered by injuries in the postseason, the Brooklyn Nets took an unexpectedly early exit in the Eastern Conference semifinals. One of the team’s key injuries was to superstar point guard Kyrie Irving — who suffered a severely sprained ankle in Game 4.
This injury put the Nets in a similar position as they were earlier in the season. Taking time off for “personal matters,” Kyrie missed a significant chunk of time in the middle of the year — leaving the team without the final piece to their superstar trio.
Earlier this week, Matt Sullivan, author of the recently published Can’t Knock the Hustle: Inside the Season of Protest, Pandemic, and Progress with the Brooklyn Nets’ Superstars of Tomorrow, reported that this midseason hiatus had frustrated some Brooklyn front office executives enough to potentially include the All-Star PG in trade dealings this offseason.
“I’ve heard rumblings — whispers, really… that Brooklyn GM Sean Marks would maybe, possibly, apparently be willing to at least listen to a trade offer for Kyrie this offseason,” Sullivan said on Tuesday, via CelticsWire.
On Friday, Sullivan backtracked on that report — saying the Nets are “not gonna deal” Kyrie.
“Tried to clear up Kyrie trade stuff here: more like grumbling than rumblings from #Nets MGMT,” he wrote on Twitter. “He controls them more than they do him—that’s a good thing. A solution, as Steve Nash’s team motto goes: Protect the Group. AKA let Ky be Ky. Not gonna deal him.”
Tried to clear up Kyrie trade stuff here: more like grumbling than rumblings from #Nets MGMT. He controls them more than they do him—that’s a good thing. A solution, as Steve Nash’s team motto goes: Protect the Group. AKA let Ky be Ky. Not gonna deal him. https://t.co/eeTGpNzErA https://t.co/WegqWO3lYZ
— Matt Sullivan (@sullduggery) June 25, 2021
While Kyrie Irving may not be gone this offseason, the whole Brooklyn super-team could be blown up after this coming season. In 2022, Irving, Kevin Durant and James Harden will each enter the player option segments of their contracts.
Unless the franchise can persuade their big guns to all stay in town, it’s looking like next year might be the Nets’ best shot at a championship.
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