“If Ben Simmons was in Brooklyn with KD and James Harden, it’s a wrap. They winning the chip.” That is what Stephen A. Smith said on ESPN yesterday. After reports broke last week that Kyrie Irving was being shopped, Stephen A. Smith said that the Philadelphia 76ers was on the table. The only problem, was that Kevin Durant wasn’t interested in trading Irving for Simmons, and let Nets head coach Sean Marks know how he felt about the potential trade.

Here’s the full quote from the segment:

Here’s another thing that could happened! Kyrie could have ended up in Philly. Sean Marks couldn’t do that because KD wasn’t having it. KD wasn’t having it. KD like ‘Kyrie ain’t going no damn place!’ Let me tell you something right now, Philadelphia might’ve said no, but I assure you, I assure you, if it were not for Kevin Durant, the Brooklyn Nets would be interested in making that deal.

Irving has been on record in the past stating that he was going to retire if traded from the Brooklyn Nets. Who knows how true Stephen A. Smith’s statement is about the potential trade. Any time I see Kendrick Perkins ugly mug on the television I take everything with a grain of salt, and honestly, it’s like you would be trading one problem for another. Irving is hardly a reliable basketball player these days and has battled injuries and off-court issues over the past few seasons.

As for Ben Simmons, well, we all know what he is.

I’m still unclear on exactly when this trade was supposed to apparently happen and whether or not Kevin Durant actually denied it. I’m still going to say this is false. I would however, agree with everything in this Stephen A. Smith video.

Things are just getting started. It’s going to be a long couple weeks with the Ben Simmons talk.

Hang in there, folks.

Mandatory Credit: NBA Analysis