The Brooklyn Nets are in a heap of trouble: star guard Kyrie Irving has requested a trade ahead of the Feb. 9 trade deadline. He has reportedly told the franchise that he intends to leave in free agency if they don’t move him first. As a result, the Brooklyn Nets have seen their NBA betting odds shift in the futures markets.
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Brooklyn Nets Betting Odds Shift | Kyrie Irving Trade Request
At 31-20, the Brooklyn Nets rank fourth in the Eastern Conference and were hot on the heels of the conference-leading Boston Celtics just a few weeks ago. But then Kevin Durant went down, leaving Kyrie Irving to lead the team, and the Nets have gone on a 4-7 slump.
Breaking: Brooklyn Nets All-Star Kyrie Irving has requested a trade, league sources tell @TheAthletic @Stadium. The franchise has been informed that Irving prefers to move on ahead of the Feb. 9 trade deadline – or will leave in free agency in July.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) February 3, 2023
Yet Brooklyn’s NBA betting odds didn’t take too much of a hit after Durant’s injury. As of Jan. 31, bettors could find the Nets at 11-2 to win this year’s NBA Championship. Their championship odds now sit all the way up at 14-1, behind Eastern Conference rivals like the Boston Celtics (7-2) and Milwaukee Bucks (13-2). Even the Philadelphia 76ers (11-1) have shorter odds.
The latest development in the Kyrie Irving saga comes as a bit of a surprise. As of last week, Irving reportedly sought a contract extension with the Nets. But Brooklyn’s recent struggles may have gotten to Irving — the Nets just suffered a 43-point drubbing at the hands of Irving’s former team, the Boston Celtics.
Although Irving has requested a trade, he may finish the season with the Nets. Irving carries a $37 million cap hit this season, so teams in the market for a point guard would need to open up significant salary cap space to fit him on their roster. For example, if the Miami Heat wanted to swap in Irving for Kyle Lowry, they would need to include another player making a lot of money like Duncan Robinson.
Of all the teams able to acquire Irving, Los Angeles Lakers seem like a likely landing spot. They could easily swap the massive Russell Westbrook contract for Irving and another reasonably paid asset, like Joe Harris or Seth Curry. The move would reunite Irving with LeBron James, with whom he won a championship in 2016.
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