Kyrie Irving would consider retirement if traded?
Feb 1, 2020; Washington, District of Columbia, USA; Brooklyn Nets guard Kyrie Irving (11) during the second half against the Washington Wizards at Capital One Arena. Mandatory Credit: Tommy Gilligan-USA TODAY Sports
The Brooklyn Nets are trying to figure out what to do with Kyrie Irving given limitations related to his vaccination status.
Irving will be unable to participate in home games for the Nets due to vaccine rules in New York City. The team is unsure what will happen with him, although they received good news regarding his practice availability.
The Nets could consider trading Irving, but that could present some serious issues. Not only would a different team face challenges related to Irving’s vaccination status, but the guard might not even want to play elsewhere.
Marc Stein addressed in his Substack account on Friday the idea of an Irving for Ben Simmons trade. He said one of the impediments for a deal is that many around the league think Irving might retire if traded.
This notion is nothing new. There was a report in September saying Irving would retire if traded. That report circulated before there were multiple rumors about a potential Irving trade.
There is another potential hurdle to an Irving trade: many teams wouldn’t even want him. Despite being an All-Star talent, Irving is an unpredictable headcase.
