Could trading Kyrie Irving be the key to winning a championship this season for the Brooklyn Nets?
It has been said an abundance of times over the last 18 months that we are living in uncertain times. Now with the help of the vaccines, we are perhaps starting to see progress in ending this pandemic. Brooklyn Nets star Kyrie Irving, however, continues to find ways to keep things uncertain – at least for the team heading into the 2021-22 NBA season.
It was revealed during the Nets media day that Kyrie is unvaccinated. This causes a plethora of problems for the Nets. New York City has an ordinance that you must be fully vaccinated to enter public areas.
As it stands right now Kyrie would not be able to play home games for the Nets. Essentially, unless Kyrie changes his mind regarding the vaccine, he would only be eligible to play away games this season. And that would leave the Nets with a difficult decision to make.
Should the Brooklyn Nets consider trading Kyrie Irving?
It might seem ridiculous to trade a top 20 player currently in his prime. This is not the first instance of Kyrie being difficult to deal with. He forced his way out of Cleveland, to be the No. 1 option on his own team. Only to have it all blow up in the matter of two seasons.
Now he has found a way to make things strenuous in Brooklyn, possibly thinking that he is protected by his friendship with Kevin Durant. If Kyrie can’t play because he refuses to get the vaccine perhaps that friendship won’t matter.
There have been rumors of Kyrie trades before media day. There have also been rumors that Kyrie would retire if he were traded.
What if you traded him to a team that would be happy if he retired?
What if the Nets swapped Kyrie for John Wall? A trade that would be mutually beneficial.
The Nets would get another above-average guard to replace Kyrie. If Kyrie chooses to retire, the Rockets would be free of a super-max cap hold.
Wall is still a solid guard who is another year removed from his horrific injuries. Wall posted averages of 20.6 points and 6.9 assists per game for a bleak Rockets team last season. Wall has shown he can adapt his game to fit others. He is also looking for any opportunity outside of Houston, so being the third wheel on a stack Nets team might be what he needs.
The move would be extremely low risk, as Wall’s contract ends in the summer of 2023. His contract could be flipped next summer with assets if needed.
Obviously, Kyrie is a much better player than Wall. There is an old adage in sports. The best ability is availability. If Kyrie Irving chooses to make himself unavailable, then the Nets have no choice. A trade now could mean a championship late for the Nets. Either way, this is no easy situation to navigate.