Nets reportedly do not want to make 1 concession in Kyrie Irving trade

Apr 25, 2022; Brooklyn, New York, USA; Brooklyn Nets guard Kyrie Irving (11) reacts during the second quarter of game four of the first round of the 2022 NBA playoffs against the Boston Celtics at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports

The Brooklyn Nets are trying to kick Kyrie Irving to the curb but also maintain their dignity while doing so.

Brian Lewis of The New York Post spoke this week on Marc Stein’s Spotify Live show and reported that the Nets hope to avoid one specific concession in a possible Irving trade — including sharpshooter Joe Harris in the deal.

“They don’t want to trade him,” said Lewis of Harris, per HoopsHype. “They are not shopping him and he is not a salary dump. I’m told that they want to keep him. It’s just a matter of, ‘Can they keep him in whatever deal might be upcoming for Kyrie?'”

Harris, 30, has become one of the Association’s most lethal three-point shooters, shooting a ludicrous 45.8 percent from distance in the last four seasons combined. He was limited to 14 games due to an ankle injury last season however and is owed $38.5 million over the next two seasons.

When it comes to Irving however, he is an overwhelmingly negative asset right now, so the Nets will have to incentivize another team to take him off their hands. Brooklyn’s apparent hesitance to add Harris to an Irving deal might explain why Irving is bracing for this outcome with his situation.