There appears to be no significant progress in Kyrie Irving's saga with the Brooklyn Nets. At the moment, the Los Angeles Lakers still remain the frontrunners to land the enigmatic point guard in a potential blockbuster trade, but at this point, it seems that no one is acting with a real sense of urgency.
According to NBA insider Brad Turner of the Los Angeles Times, the reason behind this could very well center around Kevin Durant. Turner reports that while a reunion with LeBron James in LA still remains to be a real possibility for Kyrie, his move to Hollywood currently has a KD-sized roadblock:
“I do think at some point before they get to camp, Kyrie is playing for the Lakers,” Turner said on a recent podcast appearance, via ClutchPoints on Twitter. “The Lakers just have to be patient. From everything I've read & been told, the Nets will not do anything regarding Kyrie until they trade Kevin Durant.”
"I do think at some point before they get to camp, Kyrie is playing for the Lakers. The Lakers just have to be patient. From everything I've read & been told, the Nets will not do anything regarding Kyrie until they trade Kevin Durant."@BA_Turner on @TheSteinLine's @SpotifyLive pic.twitter.com/kMK0G2GE2z
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPointsApp) July 7, 2022
Based on Turner's report here, the Nets see a Durant trade as a precursor to Kyrie's move. Simply put, Brooklyn won't trade Irving unless they are able to find a deal for KD.
This actually makes a lot of sense. The Nets are clearly open to the possibility of keeping Durant in Brooklyn. If they are somehow able to convince KD to stay, they will need Kyrie Irving to play alongside him as they look to challenge for the title this coming season.
At this point, the Nets are demanding a major haul for KD, which appears to have dissuaded a few teams from their chase for the former league MVP. This doesn't bode well for the Lakers and their pursuit of Irving.
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