NBA off-season 2022: Kyrie Irving has list of destinations if he leaves the Brooklyn Nets
According to reports, Kyrie Irving has made a list of preferred destinations if he leaves NBA’s Brooklyn Nets this off-season, which has also increased uncertainty of Kevin Durant’sDurant’s future with the Nets.
FollowKyrie Irving and Kevin Durant could be on the move if negotiations between the former and NBA’s Brooklyn Nets fall through. The Nets have tried offering a shorter-term, incentive-laden contract for Irving, who could enter free agency in one week. The implication of not being able to reach an agreement may have even more drastic consequences as superstar Kevin Durant may follow Irving out of the door. While Durant is under contract for multiple years, a trade demand could shake up things. Irving’s list of teams if the guard ends up leaving Brooklyn includes the Los Angeles Lakers, LA Clippers, New York Knicks, Miami Heat, Dallas Mavericks, and Philadelphia 76ers, according to NBA Insider Adrian Wojnarowski.
On Thursday, Wojranowski said, “If Kyrie Irving can’t reach an agreement to stay with Brooklyn, he has a list of teams he’d like them to consider on sign-and-trades, including Lakers, Clippers, Knicks, Heat, Mavs, and 76ers. None of those teams has cap space to sign him without the Nets’ help.”
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On Wednesday, Wojranowski said the following about the Irving and Nets situation as he said, “Kyrie Irving’s search for leverage on his contract discussions with the Brooklyn Nets won’t be found with the threat of a $30 million pay cut to sign with the Los Angeles Lakers, but the sum of the deepest franchise’s fears: Irving walks, and Kevin Durant wants a trade.”
“The organization [Nets] wants Irving on a shorter deal, whether it’s his $36 million opt-in for the 2022-23 season or opt-out and a new deal that could give him a raise to $42 million annually on a two-year contract. Teams are rooting for Irving to opt-out and walk away from the Nets, believing it would give them a chance to cobble together trade packages to acquire Durant,” concluded Wojranowski.
