Kyrie Irving’s agent says Nets star doesn’t hate Sean Marks, Steve Nash

Kevin Durant doesn’t seem too fond of the Brooklyn Nets right now. The Athletic’s Shams Charania reported on Monday that the former MVP has told team owner Joe Tsai that he wants general manager Sean Marks and head coach Steve Nash fired, and Josh Kosman and Mark W. Sanchez of the New York Post reported on Tuesday that he wasn’t the only Nets star to feel that way. One source told them that star guard Kyrie Irving “hates these guys.”

Well, while Durant hasn’t spoken publicly about what has been reported, Irving’s agent did speak on behalf of her client. “I am not sure where this narrative is coming from but Kyrie does not hate Steve nor Sean. That’s not a part of his being nor how he represents himself in the world. He’s about peace, love and acceptance,” Irving’s agent and stepmother Shetallia Riley Irving told Kosman and Brian Lewis.

Irving, like Durant, has been the subject of trade rumors all offseason. Unlike Durant, Irving’s market hasn’t been particularly robust. The Los Angeles Lakers are the only team known to have an interest in his services. But Irving’s stalled contract negotiations with the Nets have seemingly played a role in Durant’s frustrations. The two of them signed in Brooklyn together in 2019. 

For now, Irving’s fate appears to be tied to Durant’s. When the two-time Finals MVP gets dealt, the Nets can turn their attention to resolving the Irving situation. If his agent is to be believed, though, the Nets don’t feel quite as much urgency to make any decisions on that front yet. He isn’t forcing the issue as Durant is.