Brooklyn Nets head coach Jacque Vaughn can now put all of the Kyrie Irving drama to rest. A short while after Brooklyn made the Irving trade to the Dallas Mavericks official, Vaughn took to the podium to talk to the media ahead of Monday’s home date with the Los Angeles Clippers.
The head coach was seemingly in great spirits, smiling more than we’ve seen since he took over in that role from Steve Nash back in early November.
In particular, Vaughn was asked about how Irving’s calf was feeling after he missed Saturday’s game against the Washington Wizards “due to an injury.” His response pretty much tells the entire story here.
A former player himself, Jacque Vaughn has been with the Nets since the 2016-17 season, acting as an interim back in 2019-20 and taking over for the drama-filled teams months back. It’s pretty telling how happy he was on Monday, a short while after the Irving trade was made official.
Can we really blame Vaughn?
Irving was at the center of a ton of drama after signing with the Nets back in 2019. From his stance against getting the COVID-19 vaccines and being suspended for sharing a documentary with antisemitic views on social media, Irving didn’t do himself any favors in Brooklyn. His request of a trade this past Friday, mere days ahead of the NBA trade deadline, was the final straw for the Nets’ brass.
As for Jacque Vaughn and the rest of the team, they welcome in a new pair of players with substantially less baggage in that of Spencer Dinwiddie and Dorian Finney-Smith. Vaughn reunites with Dinwiddie after the team spent five seasons together with the Nets.
Brooklyn heads into Monday night’s game against Los Angeles with a 32-20 record and as the fourth seed in the Eastern Conference. It boasts a 30-15 mark since Vaughn took over for Nash. The expectation is that this team will remain active ahead of Thursday’s NBA trade deadline, likely adding to the smile we saw on Jacque Vaughn’s face Monday evening.