NBA Rumors: Nets Open to Kyrie Irving Trade

The Brooklyn Nets have been traversing the NBA season quite well as it passes the quarter-pole. Their 15-6 mark puts them at the top of the Eastern Conference. But it's what they could be that still eats at them.

NBA insider Ian Begley reports that the Nets "remain open to talking trades involving Kyrie Irving," as the unvaccinated point guard remains banned from the team. Sources say that several teams have indicated that the Nets are receiving calls with trade offers, and though they haven't found one yet to get it done, they are listening.

With the Nets down both Irving and now Joe Harris for a lengthy period, more and more burden is being put on Kevin Durant, and that's something that head coach Steve Nash would love to avoid.

“It’s not ideal to have him have such a burden, but I don’t know what options we have other than to play him less and lose more,” Nash told Begley. “He’s a great player, and we’re down a great player (Irving) and a really good player (Harris) and a few others (Nic Claxton — ill). So I don’t know if we have the luxury right now. Hopefully, the season gives us opportunities.”

Irving is ineligible to play home games due to New York's vaccine mandate, and the Nets are unwilling to have him as a "part-time player." And although the team has stated that they'd "welcome Irving back with open arms if he is eligible to return," Begley also notes that there's "a measurable amount of frustration with Irving among people in the organization," so any return, should he ever decide to take the jab, wouldn't be quite seamless.

Meanwhile, Kyrie is "not anywhere closer to getting the vaccine,” according to Shams Charania, and now Irving has decided to let it be known how he's feeling once again, in his usual dramatic way, in his latest Instagram post.