Kyrie Irving’s “calf injury” will likely last until he is traded. The Brooklyn Nets reportedly sit Irving until the team can find a business for the disgruntled star, according to Bleacher Report’s Chris Haynes.
Irving reportedly requested a trade from the team on Friday. He sat out the team’s game on Saturday — a 125-123 win over the Washington Wizards — due to calf pain. Nets fans were not happy about this and booed Irving when his picture appeared on the jumbotron.
Irving, 30, is still capable of playing at a high level. He is averaging 27.1 points, 5.3 assists and 5.1 rebounds in 40 games. That performance earned Irving a trip to the All-Star Game, where he’ll be a starter.
At 32-20, the Nets are firmly in the hunt for the playoffs. Irving, however, could be looking for a long-term extension, and the Nets apparently aren’t willing to go for it. Irving is eligible for a maximum extension of $200 million over four years.
There will likely be a few teams willing to make that commitment, though Irving’s market may be limited after he was suspended earlier in the season for promoting a movie that featured anti-Semitic hatred. Irving then refused to apologize, which resulted in a longer suspension from the Nets.
The Nets have less than a week to make a trade. The NBA trade deadline is February 9. The team will play two games before the trade deadline expires. Unless something drastic happens, Irving won’t play in those games.
