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.
