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Brooklyn Nets point guard Kyrie Irving is said to be unhappy with head coach Steve Nash and general manager Sean Marks, but his camp is hoping to dispel that notion.
“I’m not sure where this narration came from, but Kyrie doesn’t hate Steve or Sean. It’s not part of his nature, nor how he presents himself in the world. He’s about peace, love and acceptance,” his agent and stepmother, Shetallia Riley Irving, told The New York Post’s Josh Kosman and Brian Lewis.
On Monday, Mark W. Sanchez and Kosman reported that a source said Irving “hates these guys. He thinks Nash is terrible and Marks is bad.” Meanwhile, The Athletic’s Shams Charania reported that Kevin Durant repeated his trade request to Nets owner Joe Tsai, saying Tsai would have to choose between him and the Marks-Nash tandem .
Amid reports of discontent from Brooklyn’s two stars, Tsai went to twitter on Monday night to express his confidence in Nash and Marks, writing: “Our front office and coaching staff have my support. We will make decisions in the best interests of the Brooklyn Nets.”
Irving got his $36.5 million player option for next season in June. A few days later, Durant submitted his trade request despite entering the first year of a four-year $194.2 million renewal. There has been speculation that Irving is also hoping to be traded this offseason after Brooklyn refused to offer him a long-term deal.
Despite Durant and Irving’s desire to be traded, the Nets haven’t found a deal enticing enough to part ways with the two stars. Noting that Brooklyn has a particularly high price for Durant, Charania noted that the team “has made it clear privately that they will take every last asset away from a team trading for” the 12-time All-Star.
As training camp approaches, there is no clear resolution to the situation the Nets are facing. There remains a possibility that Durant and Irving will not be present as the team begins preparations for the 2022-23 season.