NBA Rumors: GMs Believe Kyrie Irving Has 'Little' Trade Value After Nets Request

Brooklyn Nets point guard Kyrie Irving has reportedly requested a move, but the eight-time All-Star apparently has "little value" as Thursday's NBA trade deadline nears.

Andscape senior NBA writer Marc Spears relayed that news on the latest edition of ESPN's NBA Today:

"I've been speaking to six different general managers today, and four of them said that Kyrie had little value, that they thought that maybe they could get some expiring contracts or some role players for him. Of the teams that they mention that could have interest, there was Dallas, Lakers, Miami and even the Chicago Bulls."

Irving is set to become a free agent after exercising his 2022-23 player option for $37 million last offseason. If the Nets fail to trade him before the deadline, he plans to leave in free agency next summer, per Shams Charania of Stadium and The Athletic.

A failure to agree upon a long-term deal has led to the trade request, per Charania.

Irving is eligible for a four-year, $200 million extension, which perhaps could lead to teams' hesitations. Likewise, Irving's actions during his time as a Net, including initially refusing to apologize or denounce antisemitism after he promoted an antisemitic film on social media that led the team to suspend him in November and his refusal to take the COVID-19 vaccine, which led to him missing more than half of the team's games in 2021-22, could play a role.

The extension may be a key issue for the Lakers, ESPN's Brian Windhorst reported on Friday's edition of NBA Today.

"The Lakers position, from what I understand, is they've been interested in trading for Kyrie Irving, but they're not so sure about trading for him and being obligated to give him a $200 million contract at season's end," Windhorst said in part.

Still, it's hard to ignore a player on the trading block who's averaging 27.1 points, 5.3 rebounds and 5.1 assists per game and just earned his eighth All-Star Game appearance. Spears mentioned the Lakers, Dallas Mavericks, Miami Heat and Chicago Bulls as teams with potential interest. Charania mentioned the Lakers, Mavs and Phoenix Suns:

Regardless of how this all turns out, the news of Irving's trade request Friday has sent shockwaves throughout the league, and he now becomes the biggest focal point as the deadline rapidly approaches.