Nets Coach Addresses If He Feels Kyrie Irving ‘Is Letting the Team Down’

The star point guard requested a trade from Brooklyn on Friday.
In this story:

Nets guard Kyrie Irving requested a trade from the franchise ahead of Thursday’s league trade deadline, per multiple reports.

On Saturday, ahead of Brooklyn’s matchup with Washington, Nets coach Jacque Vaughn addressed whether or not he believed that Irving was letting the team down.

“I’m not going to speculate what [his teammates] think,” Vaughn began. “But I think you have a responsibility as a basketball player, like I do as a coach. I show up. I do my job every single day. That’s what I signed up for, and that’s my expectation for one through 17.”

Given Brooklyn’s strong season with their core trio of Irving, Kevin Durant and Ben Simmons healthy, it was a bit of a surprise to see the Nets’ star request a move out of Brooklyn.

Irving reportedly gave the Nets an ultimatum after failing to reach a contract extension with the franchise, and said that if he isn’t traded before Thursday, he will leave Brooklyn in free agency.

It will certainly be an eventful week as the Nets determine what’s best for the future of the franchise, either with or without Irving.


Published
Mike McDaniel
MIKE MCDANIEL

Mike McDaniel is a staff writer on the Breaking and Trending News team at Sports Illustrated, where he has worked since January 2022. His work has been featured at InsideTheACC.com, SB Nation, FanSided and more. McDaniel hosts the Hokie Hangover Podcast, covering Virginia Tech athletics, as well as Basketball Conference: The ACC Football Podcast. Outside of work, he is a husband and father, and an avid golfer.