David Butler II-USA TODAY Sports
Kyrie Irving Ends Hawks Hopes of Landing Kevin Durant
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The Kyrie Irving sweepstakes, which no team wanted to be a part of, has ended just as quickly as it began. Yesterday, the Brooklyn Nets point guard opted into the final year of his contract. This decision comes after Irving surveyed the league landscape and realized no team wanted to offer him the new max contract he desires.
True to his public persona, Irving released a statement, “Normal people keep the world going, but those who dare to be different lead us into tomorrow. I’ve made my decision to opt in. See you in the fall. A11even.”
Irving's decision to remain in Brooklyn had an immediate upon the league - most notably on his teammate Kevin Durant. The perennial MVP candidate and close friend of Irving had reportedly been closely monitoring the situation. There were reports indicating Durant could follow Irving out the door.
This wild speculation caught fire online. We covered how a sportsbook gave the Atlanta Hawks the third-best odds of landing Durant. Then, yesterday, All-NBA point guard Trae Young liked a tweet about Durant coming to Atlanta to play beside Young.
Trae Young will not get his chance to play with Kevin Durant.
While the Durant to Atlanta dream always felt like a stretch, it's still disappointing imagining what could have been had an All-Star actively chosen to come play with Young. The silver lining is there could be an All-Star on the way soon. Atlanta's front office remains engaged with San Antonio in trade talks centered around guard Dejounte Murray.
The last thing we heard on that front was that the Spurs want Danilo Gallinari, not John Collins, as part of the trade package. Despite my initial skepticism, the initial report was confirmed by Jake Fischer of Bleacher Report. Trade or no trade, Atlanta's front office must decide on Gallinari before Thursday.
Once the Hawks decide to waive, trade, or keep Gallinari, then we are off to the races of free agency. The news will continue to come fast, so stay locked into AllHawks.com for breaking news, highlights, and analysis.
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