Is this the last straw for Kyrie Irving and the Nets?
The Nets' Kyrie Irving during the first half of an NBA game against the Pistons on Jan. 26 at Barclays Center. Credit: AP/Frank Franklin II
Raise your hand if you are dizzy and tired and just want this all to end.
Raise your hand if you think it’s time for Kyrie Irving’s coaster of chaos to pull into some other team’s station so we can all tumble out in one piece.
Raise your hand if you are finally willing to give up that small sliver of hope that this star-laden team will finally bring an NBA title to the New York area for … Russell Westbrook or a decent draft pick or another dull era of rebuilding.
OK, that last one is the tough one.
It’s not so much that anyone will miss Irving and the dust cloud of drama and dysfunction that seems to follow him everywhere. What we will miss if the Nets decide to honor his request to be traded before Thursday’s deadline is the feeling that this could have been something really special.
If Kyrie had come to the Nets alone, this would be a whole different story. The fact is that he came with Kevin Durant, one of the best pure shooters in the history of the league. When Durant and Irving chose the Nets over the Knicks 3 ½ years ago, it had to be one of the most joy-filled days in the history of the franchise. The Nets were expected to be a contender for years to come.
Instead, the Nets won just one playoff series in three years. Still, for a moment it looked like they might redeem themselves this year, that they would finally pull it all together and go deep into the playoffs. Before Durant went down with a knee injury, the Nets had won 18 of 20 games and put together a 12-game winning streak.
It looked as though coach Jacque Vaughn had somehow cracked the code, that he had found a way to get the attention of a team that had pretty much given up on his predecessor Steve Nash. The Durant injury slowed things down more than a bit, but with Durant saying recently that he wanted to be back before the All-Star break, there was genuine hope that the Nets might regroup and go deep into the playoffs.
And then this.
Not only does Irving ask to be traded a week before the deadline, he also suddenly appears on the team’s injury report with a sore calf Saturday afternoon, even though there was no mention of the injury on Friday or Saturday morning.
The Nets won without Irving on Saturday night, erasing a 23-point deficit in a 125-123 victory over Washington.
In the history of kookie Kyrie moments, this does not crack the top five. Irving basically torpedoed his team’s chances last season when he refused to get the COVID-19 vaccine and spent most of the season as a part-time player. He also alienated a chunk of fans and was suspended for eight games earlier this season when he linked to an antisemitic movie and then initially declined to apologize.
When he bothers to play — Irving has appeared in just 143 of a possible 277 games since he signed — he is a dazzling talent. This goes a long way in explaining why the Nets have put up with so much over the past 3 1/2 years. Yet, it’s hard to say what they should do this time.
If Irving leaves, Durant will be sure to follow. Durant tried to leave this summer already. Why in the world would he want to stay on a team that includes Ben Simmons on a long-term contract and little chance of building a team that can win a title while he is there? He wouldn’t. Durant has yet to comment on Irving’s request, but there are more teams out there interested in Durant’s future than Irving’s.
The Nets don’t have a great recent history when it comes to trading disgruntled superstars. (See the James Harden for Simmons trade last season.) Maybe the Nets just call Irving’s bluff, refuse to trade him and try to play out the year with Irving and Durant, who was having a near-MVP year when he went down with the knee injury.
If Irving walks at the end of the year, he will likely need their help with a sign and trade. He will also need to play hard and well, like he has since coming back from his suspension, if he wants to keep his stock at a high level.
Yes, the thought of at least three more months on the Kyrie train is mind-numbing. But so is the thought of playing without him.
Barbara Barker is an award-winning columnist and features writer in the sports department at Newsday. She has covered sports in New York for more than 20 years.
