How Kyrie Irving Caused The Nets To Reject Jaylen Brown Trade
· Yahoo Sports
The Brooklyn Nets are somewhat of an afterthought in the Eastern Conference, and Jaylen Brown could have changed that. As one of the few teams in the league with the means to trade for Brown this summer, the Nets were in a strong position to land the two-way star before he ever joined the Philadelphia 76ers. It’s not until today, though, that we know why such a deal never happened.
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According to league insider Brian Lewis, the Nets rejected a Brown trade due to his ties to Kyrie Irving. Despite Jaylen’s status as a Finals MVP, the Nets declined to even consider a deal in an effort to avoid another toxic situation.
“Sources told The Post that not only did the Celtics offer Brown to the Nets, but that the former Finals MVP was more than willing to join the Nets,” wrote Brian Lewis of The New York Post. “It was the Nets that declined, according to sources, not about Boston’s asking price, but to avoid ‘another Kyrie Irving situation.'”
The Nets have a complicated history with Kyrie. He joined the team in 2019, alongside his friend and co-star Kevin Durant. What started as a hopeful situation with championship potential eventually devolved into chaos after a series of scandals. Between his controversial statements (which became a major distraction) and his unreliable availability, Irving’s Nets tenure was an unmitigated disaster, and Jaylen Brown has always been one of his staunchest supporters.
From 2017 to 2019, Brown was teammates with Irving in Boston, and they’ve been close ever since. In fact, Brown’s history of defending Irving is what ultimately scared the Nets away from a potential deal. The mere fact that he has publicly supported Irving is apparently enough to link him to the veteran point guard.
“Brown is close with Irving, who was a Net from 2019-23 but demanded a midseason trade after a litany of dramas and controversies,” Lewis added. “Jaylen Brown publicly defended Kyrie Irving after his suspension for promoting an antisemitic video, calling Nets owner Joe Tsai’s criticism of Irving ‘alarming.’ Brown later criticized Tsai directly, questioning his business relationships and suggesting he also needed to be held accountable.”
Instead of risking another awkward star situation, the Brooklyn Nets opted to continue their rebuild and find a star the hard way: through the draft. Several years after Irving’s departure, that search is still ongoing, and it makes you wonder where they would be now if they’d taken the risk and traded for Brown. This season, through his first four games on the 76ers, he’s averaging 20.8 points, 5.8 rebounds, 4.8 assists, 1.3 steals, and 0.5 blocks on 42.5% shooting from the field.
Instead, the Nets are still haunted by their past, scared of repeating the mistakes that led to disaster. It’s a careful and cautious approach by the Nets, and one they could come to regret if Jaylen Brown delivers a championship to the 76ers. For now, at least, it seems Nets owner Joe Tsai is not willing to take any chances when it comes to picking his next franchise star.