Kyrie will play for his 4th NBA team in 12 years.
We all know the details of the deal. Well, all of us are also aware that Kyrie Irving is a ridiculously skilled hooper, but at the same time, his decisions can be erratic and unpredictably horrendous.
Put simply, Irving can help teams get Ws with his basketball wizardry, and he can also be detrimental to his squad when his quirks kick in. With that in mind let’s take a look at the real winners and losers of the Kyrie Irving blockbuster trade.
Winners
Brooklyn Nets
When Irving posted a tweet that was perceived to have anti-Semitic connotations, he got dropped from the Nike roster and—like he had done when he refused to be vaccinated during the pandemic—served as a distraction to his squad. To unload such a burden and get anything in return must’ve felt like a blessing for Nets owner Joe Tsai who’s been having head-splitting migraine attacks for quite a while.
James Harden
“See? It’s not me who’s the problem”— James Harden, probably.
There was a debate over who’s the worse teammate between ex-Nets Kyrie and The Beard. The latest development might’ve tipped the balance in favor of Harden.
All NBA teams except Los Angeles Lakers
Well, the Dallas Mavericks did pursue Irving, which means they really believe that he can help Luka Doncic and the rest of squad get to the next level. Regarding their mission to acquire a superstar, the Mark Cuban-owned ball club succeeded.
As for any other team not named the Lakers, they might’ve dodged a bullet. Kyrie is a high-maintenance guy. It’s tough dealing with a situation like that night in and night out.
Losers
LeBron James and the Lakers
Laker nation expected their team go all out in trading for Kyrie. Well, they didn’t get it. To them, Kyrie was the messiah that would take them back to championship glory. We could just see a tear falling out of LeBron’s left eye when he tweeted the words, “Maybe, it’s me” moments after the news broke.
Kevin Durant
It was basically him who brought Irving to the Nets with the promise of winning a ring or two. Well now, KD is the only superstar left in Brooklyn, and that title-chase is as good as done. Yep, Durant has no future whatsoever being a GM in the league.
Ben Simmons
"Are they going to need me to shoot more?" That's what Nets point forward Ben Simmons is probably thinking right now.