Kyrie Irving requested a trade from the Brooklyn Nets Friday afternoon per a report from Shams Charania of The Athletic.
The request comes after contract extension talks between the two sides fizzled.
Breaking: Brooklyn Nets All-Star Kyrie Irving has requested a trade, league sources tell @TheAthletic @Stadium. The franchise has been informed that Irving prefers to move on ahead of the Feb. 9 trade deadline – or will leave in free agency in July.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) February 3, 2023
Irving informed the team he would prefer to be traded before the February 9th trade deadline.
However, he has not provided a list of preferred teams to be traded to.
Irving’s request continues the media circus that has surrounded the Nets since this past offseason when Kevin Durant requested a trade.
Here are two teams who could look to acquire Irving.
Los Angeles Lakers
The Los Angeles Lakers are the most straightforward team to draw a connection.
Irving has been linked to them in trade rumors and LeBron James and Irving have a history together.
Kyrie is in the final year of his contract, paying him $36.9 million.
The most apparent player for the Lakers to send out is Russell Westbrook, currently making $47 million in the final year of his deal.
Legion Hoops on Twitter gave the rough outline of a potential deal with a hat tip to ESPN’s Bobby Marks.
Who says no?
Nets receive:
Russell Westbrook
Lonnie Walker IV
First-round pickLakers receive:
Kyrie Irving
Joe Harris(h/t @BobbyMarks42) pic.twitter.com/n8iFZks6af
— Legion Hoops (@LegionHoops) February 3, 2023
The Lakers get to pair Irving with James and Anthony Davis in their quest for a title this year.
The Nets get the Lakers’ 2027 or 2029 first-round pick, which should be a high lottery pick assuming James is retired by then.
Brooklyn is the loser in this deal but also has little leverage with Irving requesting a trade.
Dallas Mavericks
The Dallas Mavericks are another team to keep an eye on.
Dallas has had an interest in Irving previously but was hesitant to surrender assets to acquire him.
Reporting with @espn_macmahon: The Mavericks have had previous interest on Kyrie Irving and are expected to explore idea with Nets ahead of Thursday's trade deadline. Like most teams, the Mavericks have had had a reluctance to make significant offers of assets for Irving.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) February 3, 2023
However, the Mavericks have taken a step back this season.
Losing Jalen Brunson in free agency has been a significant detriment to the team.
They are 28-25 this season after finishing 52-30 last season.
Doncic is carrying a staggering 38.6% Usage Rate, a percentage that would rank fifth all-time for a single season.
Dallas could use another offensive focal point to remove some of the load from Doncic’s shoulders.
The Mavericks have multiple mid-level contracts to send out to match salary.
But assuming Durant sticks around, two or three quality role players could be more interesting for a Nets team looking to make some noise in the playoffs.
The upcoming trade deadline just got a whole lot more interesting.
NEXT: The Nets Have Seen A Contender Collapse In Record Time
