The Brooklyn Nets finally got a massive weight off their shoulders.
They were willing to let Kyrie Irving walk away for free last off-season and were pretty much stuck with him when he decided to opt-in on the final year of his deal when he realized no one wanted to sign him to a max contract.
Irving went from being their co-star to a guy they only dealt with to keep Kevin Durant happy, which didn’t seem to work either.
So, it wasn’t much of a surprise to see that the Nets front office and team owner Joe Tsai didn’t bat an eye to trade him as soon as he requested to be moved, but it’s not like they gave him a chance to choose where he wanted to go.
Instead, insiders report that Tsai wanted to trade him anywhere but one of his preferred destinations, taking the Phoenix Suns away from the equation.
According to Shams Charania, the Nets asked for four first-round picks from the Suns, who offered Jae Crowder, Chris Paul, and one first-rounder for the All-Star.
Brooklyn also wanted three first-round picks from the Suns after being offered Chris Paul, Jae Crowder and a first round pick for Kyrie Irving, per @ShamsCharania pic.twitter.com/Bt0TRF5EXj
— NBACentral (@TheNBACentral) February 6, 2023
That’s far less than what they wind up getting for his services, so it’s evident that it was personal and not about getting the best return for the often-controversial star.
Kyrie has burned every single bridge back to his former teams, and the fact that someone would want to sign him to a max deal should be mind-boggling at this point.
But for the Nets, he’s just someone else’s problem, once and for all.
NEXT: The Suns Reportedly Have An Offer For Jae Crowder
