The Brooklyn Nets have stumbled out of the gates in the 2022-23 NBA season. Their chemistry has been messy, and their on-court play has been even messier. To make matters worse, Kyrie Irving is once again at the center of a social media storm. His Thursday afternoon posting of a four-year-old anti-Semitic video and a seven-year-old book may have finally and irrevocably severed any good graces he's enjoyed from the organization. Here we will look at the four best trade destinations if the Brooklyn Nets decide they've had enough of Kyrie Irving's controversial positions

As of this writing, the Nets are languishing at the bottom of the Eastern Conference with a 1-5 win-loss record. They're tied with the similarly hapless though much less controversial Orlando Magic. Unlike the Magic, however, the Nets weren't supposed to be here. The Magic weren't pegged as playoff favorites and title contenders. The Nets were. The Magic also don't have any conspiracy theorists and players who are unable to read the social media room. The Nets, apparently, have that in spades.

I mean, this tweet kinda says it all:

And then this tweet from Nets owner Joe Tsai…

The first question is if there is any prospect of resolving this all at a meeting between Tsai and Irving. Given Irving's history and Tsai's failure to get Irving to get vaccinated last season, that probably won't happen. What are the Nets' options if it doesn't work?

The Nets may return to the trade market where they allegedly spoke with Irving in July and August. The main conjecture back then was that Irving would be moved for the Lakers' Russell Westbrook and one or two first-round picks. Westbrook has struggled this season, and with the Lakers, the only NBA club yet to win (as of this writing), his trade value, like Irving's, has declined.

With all these in mind, let's look at the four best trade destinations if the Brooklyn Nets decide they've had enough of Kyrie Irving's controversial positions

4. New York Knicks

Putting a big-time personality in the biggest city and market in the world seems like a good fit. Oh, wait, Irving's already in New York anyway. Oh well, at least this puts him in a different organization where the weight of expectations isn't as hefty. Also, the Knicks court controversy and pain on a regular basis. Having Irving spouting his “truths” on social media shouldn't rock the boat too much.

Without a doubt, Irving would be the Knicks' biggest star in a long time. They already have Jalen Brunson, Julius Randle, and RJ Barrett, but none of those have the pull of Irving. On the flip side, they also don't have half his baggage.

Still, Irving would undoubtedly add excitement to the Garden, but we've already seen what a team constructed around him looks like. He is unlikely to make the Knicks true contenders as a leader, and besides, they'd have to let go of one of their three best players to acquire Irving. However, meshing the Irving State of Mind with the Empire State of Mind would make for interesting content on any media platform.

3. Miami Heat

Kyle Lowry looks like he'll be a wash this season. That's just the current reality that Heat fans are facing. Enter Kyrie Irving, who could inject much-needed production into the squad.

The Heat are a defensive-minded club with a frigid offensive streak. How about bringing in one of the league's most explosive scorers, eh? On paper and perhaps in a video game vacuum, it makes sense. It would be interesting to watch how Irving adjusts to playing for a team known for its no-nonsense mentality, but a trio of him, Jimmy Butler, and Bam Adebayo would carry quite a punch.

Remember, the Heat were a Butler 3-pointer away from reaching the Finals for the second time in three seasons. Perhaps Irving can help get them over the hump and back to their peak.

Take note as well that Irving allegedly had the Heat on his radar in the not-so-distant past. It's not a stretch to imagine him scoring bunches alongside Butler at all. At the very least, it should come as no surprise that the Heat are on his wish list.

Of course, can the Heat organization handle Kyrie's unpredictability off the court? Well, if they could handle all the fallout from their LeBron-Wade-Bosh era, they should be able to handle Irving, right?

2. Los Angeles Clippers

The Clippers kinda suck right now. They'll probably get things right, but adding a piece like Kyrie Irving can give them the scoring punch that they're just not getting from John Wall or Kawhi Leonard at the moment.

Yes, Irving comes with a Twitterverse's worth of baggage, but these are the Clippers. Their whole history is baggage. It won't be unfamiliar territory. They'll manage.

However, as intriguing as it would be to see Irving play with a pair of excellent two-way players in Paul George and Leonard, the Clippers are already a contender even without him. They'd also have to let Wall go in exchange for Irving. Add another player and a pick to that as well.

Would the Clippers be better off having 2 A-list guys with Wall? Or would they be stronger with a bona fide Big Three rounded out by Irving? It would be fun to find out.

1. Los Angeles Lakers

Surprise, surprise. It all really comes down to the Lakers. This team needs to shake things up more urgently than any team out there. Yes, it's still very early in the season, but the Lakers just don't look anywhere near right. Whereas the other teams on this list could wait till maybe January to pull the trigger on a trade, the Lakers need one as soon as possible.

We love Russell Westbrook, but we cannot stand any more time with him on this team. It's just a really bad fit. Would Kyrie fit better? We think so. Would he get into trouble off the court? We'd be surprised if he doesn't. But then again, maybe LeBron can “tame” him? Maybe the glitz and glamor of Hollywood can eclipse his abrasive and divisive social media presence.

The Lakers were said to be interested in Irving throughout the offseason. If the Nets had completed a Kevin Durant trade, Irving may have been next. However, because Durant rescinded his trade request, the Nets finally chose to run things back with both him and Irving.

This left the Lakers with Westbrook, who has been every bit the catastrophe that most people expected he would be so far. There was a glimmer of optimism that the Nets might bail out Los Angeles by dealing Westbrook for Irving, but that became even more implausible when Durant decided to return.

Now, Irving's latest antics have left the window of opportunity ajar. While the off-court issues he carries have deterred many clubs from showing serious interest, Irving's on-court productivity makes him worth far more than Westbrook's. Despite Brooklyn's awful record, Irving is a considerably superior player than Westbrook at this juncture in the season.

Both of these big market teams need to roll the dice at some point because they're both trending in dismal directions. Pulling the trigger on this trade can be the turning point they both need.