Nets Telling Teams They Won't Trade Kyrie Irving (Report)

Could keeping Kyrie Irving lead to Kevin Durant staying with the Nets?

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Perhaps, the Nets are posturing in an attempt to pry two first-round draft picks from the Lakers, who recently came to terms with LeBron James on a two-year, $97.1 million maximum contract extension. While the contract includes a player option for the 2024-2025 season, the deal highlights Los Angeles' continued commitment to building around James and Anthony Davis.

Per Spotrac, the most cap space the Lakers could create for the 2023-24 campaign without making a trade to unload salary is $31.9 million. While a lot can change between now and then, at the moment, they'd enter that offseason with only five players on their roster, including James and Davis; two of those individuals, Talen Horton-Tucker and Damian Jones, have player options for that season. That makes signing a free agent to a max contract quite challenging.

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It's probably best for the purple and gold to part with two first-round picks to acquire Kyrie Irving, vaulting them onto the short list of championship contenders. And with Davis (29) and Irving (30) on board, the Lakers could remain stable after James departs.

Even if it doesn't work out, it's a safe bet that at some point, a star will decide to take his talents to Los Angeles, just as James did when the Lakers were at arguably the lowest point in franchise history. Perhaps, two superstars who want to play together head there to spearhead the purple and gold's next title run post-James.

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However, if the report from Shams Charania of The Athletic holds true, and the Nets, who are telling teams they aren't trading Irving, remain firm in that stance, perhaps it persuades Kevin Durant to change course and return to Brooklyn for another season.

Talks between the Celtics and Nets about a potential Durant deal have been "non-existent recently," per Charania. Other potential suitors are also reluctant to meet Brooklyn's asking price for the former league MVP. There's just over a month before training camp starts, and if none of these trade talks gain traction, maybe Durant decides he'll play for the Nets.

If that's how this matter gets resolved, then with Durant, Irving, Ben Simmons, and the additions of T.J. Warren, Royce O'Neale, and a healthy Joe Harris, Brooklyn has a team capable of being the last one standing this season.

Further Reading

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