Sixers Rival Report: Nets' Kyrie Irving Requests Trade

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According to The Athletic's Shams Charania, Brooklyn Nets guard Kyrie Irving has handed in a trade request ahead of the NBA trade deadline on Thursday, Feb. 9.
Breaking: Brooklyn Nets All-Star Kyrie Irving has requested a trade, league sources tell @TheAthletic @Stadium. The franchise has been informed that Irving prefers to move on ahead of the Feb. 9 trade deadline – or will leave in free agency in July.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) February 3, 2023
This isn't the first time that Irving has wanted out of Brooklyn, with rumors surfacing in the summer around both Irving and fellow Nets' All-Star Kevin Durant, with Irving being linked heavily with the Los Angeles Lakers.
Irving has been putting on a show night in and night out for the Nets, averaging 27 points on 48 percent shooting, with assists.
The former NBA champion currently sits on the final year of the four-year contract he signed back in 2019, with this part of his career being a tumultuous one.
Since joining the Nets in 2019, Irving and Durant were the two constant figures on the team, with current and former Philadelphia 76ers stars coming through, as James Harden failed to complete the team, and Ben Simmons currently appearing as the third figure of Brooklyn's big three.
Joe Tsai and the Brooklyn Nets front office has a week to fulfill Irving's wishes with the NBA trade deadline rapidly approaching.
The request comes at a difficult time for the Nets, who are falling down the Eastern Conference standings, currently seated five and a half games behind first place, having faced a humiliating 96-139 loss to the Boston Celtics on Thursday night.
Declan Harris contributes to All76ers, a Sports Illustrated channel. You can follow him on Twitter: @DecIanH.
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Declan Harris is a writer for FanNation's All76ers powered by Sports Illustrated Media Group. In addition to his role covering the Sixers, Declan also writes for CityXtra, covering Manchester City F.C. He is a 2023 Temple University Lew Klein School of Media and Communications graduate.