Kevin Durant? Who needs him.
Kyrie Irving, believed to be committed to signing a max deal with the Nets, has discussed bringing veteran wing Iman Shumpert along with him in a move to Brooklyn, per HoopsHype’s Alex Kennedy on Twitter.
ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reported on Saturday that Kyrie and the Nets are “motivated” to quickly reach a four-year, $141 million deal.
Shumpert most recently played for the Houston Rockets, contributing off the bench for the James Harden–led franchise that lost in the second round of the 2019 NBA Playoffs to the Golden State Warriors.
Before that, Shumpert competed for the Sacramento Kings, Cleveland Cavaliers—where he won a ring with his then-teammate Irving on LeBron James’ 2016 champion squad—and the New York Knicks.
Shumpert, 29, was the 17th overall pick in the 2011 NBA Draft, selected by the Knicks. Out of Georgia Tech, the athlete/rapper was known as a large guard, at 6-foot-5, who could play both backcourt positions and defend with a high motor. “Shump” has averaged more than one steal per game in his eight-year NBA career.
For much of the past season, it was believed Irving was in communication with fellow All-Star Kevin Durant in order to plan a “team-up” of sorts and land with the same organization. In months leading up to free agency, two choices that emerged were Eastern Conference teams the New York Knicks and Brooklyn Nets.
However, Irving’s push to join the Nets leaves Durant, who injured his Achilles in the Finals, down to four options: the Warriors, Nets, Knicks, and Clippers—with many around the league believing he’ll sign with New York in spite of Golden State’s gauntlet offer of five years and $221 million.
Irving and Shumpert, nevertheless, spent time together in Cleveland and would make up a solid backcourt for the emerging Brooklyn Nets.
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