On Friday, Brooklyn Nets star guard Kyrie Irving asked the team to trade him before next week’s NBA trade deadline.
One would think that such a talented guard, especially one that will be starting in this month’s All-Star game, would garner a truckload of interest around the league, especially with the deadline just six days away on Feb. 9.
But the interest is expected to be limited to just a few teams.
On the other hand, plenty of teams will reportedly be monitoring Kevin Durant’s situation and whether he could ask to be dealt himself.
Among rival teams, there's far more interest in inquiring on Kevin Durant's reaction to Kyrie Irving's trade request and how that may impact KD's future with the Nets.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) February 3, 2023
Durant is currently sidelined with a sprained MCL, and durability has definitely been a concern with him ever since he tore his Achilles during the 2019 NBA Finals.
Since then, he missed the entire 2019-20 campaign, appeared in just 35 games the following year and played in 55 contests during the 2021-22 season.
However, when Durant is healthy, he is still arguably one of the five best basketball players in the world.
He is averaging 29.7 points, 6.7 rebounds, 5.3 assists and 1.5 blocked shots per game while shooting 55.9 percent from the field and 37.6 percent from 3-point range this season, and he is leading everyone in free throw percentage.
Before his MCL injury, the Nets were rolling, as they went on a 12-game winning streak and won 18 of 20 contests.
Trading for Durant would obviously be a win-now move, as he is 34 years of age, but if he does ask out, either days from now or this summer, he could transform a team from pretenders to legitimate contenders overnight.
NEXT: NBA Insider Reveals 3 Favorites To Land Kyrie Irving
