Since joining the Nets as a free agent in 2019, Kyrie Irving has played in a total of 103 games for the team. He missed 52 of 72 games in his first year in Brooklyn as a result of a shoulder injury, missed 18 of 72 in his second year, primarily due to personal issues, and then missed 53 of 82 this past season, largely due to his COVID-19 vaccination status.
Irving’s inconsistent availability, which has stemmed both from injury issues and personal choices, is a large reason why the Nets face a difficult decision on him this offseason, when he’s eligible for unrestricted free agency if he turns down his $36.9MM option for 2022/23.
Irving has played at his usual All-Star level when he’s been healthy, averaging an impressive 27.1 PPG, 6.0 APG, and 4.7 RPG on .490/.406/.920 shooting in those 103 appearances (35.3 MPG) he has made with the Nets. But he’s on the wrong side of 30 and his unpredictable personality makes him a difficult player to invest in long-term, especially at a maximum-salary rate.
In fact, Kristian Winfield of The New York Daily News cites a source familiar with the Nets’ thought process who says the team is hesitant – if not altogether unwilling – to give Irving a long-term max deal.
Winfield acknowledges that a one-year contract would likely be unacceptable for Irving, who will be seeking long-term security this offseason, so if he’s going to remain in Brooklyn, the two sides may have to reach some sort of compromise.
When asked about Irving’s future after the end of the Nets’ season, general manager Sean Marks offered no guarantees, talking first about wanting players who are both “selfless” and “available,” then later saying the team needed to talk to Kyrie’s camp to see if it’s “the right fit for both sides.”
Still, it seems likely that Brooklyn would move forward with Irving as long as the team gets some assurances about his commitment to the franchise. For his part, Kyrie has said he doesn’t plan to go anywhere.
If Irving opts out and seeks a new contract, he’d be eligible for a five-year deal worth up to a projected $247.66MM with the Nets. If he were to pick up his option and negotiate an extension from there, his maximum earnings going forward would be a little lower, but he could still get a deal that pays him a total of $232.75MM, plus possible incentives, over the next five years.
Irving could get four years and $183.61MM from another team, but it’s unclear what sort of a market there will be for him outside of Brooklyn, since few contenders have significant cap flexibility and many will be wary of a long-term investment in the seven-time All-Star.
When Irving signed his initial contract with the Nets, the deal technically fell short of the maximum salary, with a series of eight incentives available each season that would increase Kyrie’s salary to the max if he achieved all of them. That structure was designed at the time to allow Brooklyn to maximize its available cap room in 2019, but perhaps a similar format could work for both sides this time around, since incentives tied to total minutes or games played would give the club some protection in seasons when Irving misses time.
Of course, it’s also possible that the Nets could convince Irving to accept a contract further below the max. Brooklyn was his top choice in free agency in 2019 and he hasn’t shown any desire to leave — he also exhibited a willingness to sacrifice some money last season, when his decision not to get vaccinated resulted in hefty per-game fines.
We want to know what you think. Will Irving stick with the Nets? If so, he will he opt out to sign a new deal, opt in and sign an extension, or opt in without an extension? Could he end up playing elsewhere in 2022/23? Wherever he ends up, will his next contract be worth the max?
Head to the comment section below to weigh in with your two cents on Irving’s future.
As a Knicks fan, I hope he signs a max with the Nets. As for the Nets, I wouldn’t consider bringing him back. As talented as he is, the games played vs. games just isn’t worth it, for whatever the reason may be, which are many.
I’ve just found out this
If Irving signed 1 more year extension, Knicks have no asset to acquire Irving.
All Knicks have little trade value.
RJ Barrett max is $181 million
41% from the floor, 35% on 3-pointers and 72% on foul shots
RJ has no ceiling, IMO
Lakers and Knicks, this is your chance
Please dump salary asap
Reporters want to dump Westbrook and Randle salary
That’s it! Sillivan is an AI bot, I’m convinced
The vaccine mandate is already repealed so the concerns over his commitment doesn’t really make sense. He’s just as committed as he was 3 years ago when they were comfortable acquiring him.
I think the Nets are just posturing for leverage/pressure, since they want to save as much money as possible on his deal.
I’d bet my farm Kyrie is a Net in 2023 and 2024.
Questions about his commitment go WAY deeper than the vax thing. They go all the way back to his Cavs days.
True. Between refusing to play in the bubble, to the vaccine, trade demands, and excuses when he fails.
Cheeky talented, but not committed to basketball 100%
He was injured and not allowed in the bubble
he openly said he did not agree w. the bubble structure and wouldnt play. and also said he would try to get other players not to go.
Oh dont forget how he quit on the Celtics in the Bucks series bc he wanted to go play in Brooklyn with his best bud KD.
Right but Nets already knew that when they acquired him. My point is he isn’t any less reliable now than he was 3 years ago
Repealed for now…..what happens when the next variant flares up?
The vaccine thing is an entirely different thing but while I personally have no problem with his sabbatical after violent demonstration on Jan 6th or other soul searching breaks from his time in Boston and Brooklyn they definitely established a pattern where his commitment could be questioned.
It isn’t just covid mandate reasons. He takes a lot of personal days for a guy that only has to work 72 to 82 times a year. He also gets hurt a lot. A GM is only right for factoring that in.
Besides every Mark’s said about Irving was also a sneak diss to Simmons.
Wait until he trips when he finds out the earth is round.
I kind of agree with this – 2021 sabbatical aside, the vast majority of his missed time is due to either the mandate or injuries
The injury concern is valid, but acting as if it’s likely that Irving is going to miss, IDK, 75% of another season for a non-injury reason is probably a stretch
What? Irving literally left the team before COVID was a thing, he just found a scapegoat with COVID and made up excuses because he’s a contrarian without a goal. The commitment was a problem before COVID, the maturity was a problem since he was young, the mental laziness is also a concern. This has been a problem with Kyrie for a long term. He has no ability to see things through and I don’t ever expect that to change. Once a spoiled child, always one.
Extend-and-trade maybe? Such a weird asset to value.
If two-year max extension,
Irving trade value is still higher than Westbrook and Wall.
If Harden extends with 4-year $160 million,
Irving trade value is higher than Harden
As much as I dislike Westbrook I wish it wasn’t so, but yeah… Irving is a better bet and trade value than Westbrook. What a sad state of affairs that is
Opt out and resign for something like 3/120. Tough to see them letting him walk, but no way he gets 5 year max
I don’t think the initial contract is good guide, because I don’t think incentives matter much. Frankly, I think KI would love to negotiate a contract along the lines of pay for play.
The object from BKN’s standpoint (and KI needs to be made to understand it) is to align his contract with his commitment, not his salary with his games played. The damage caused by his unavailability to the team last season (without getting into the merits of his position) would have been the same even if the team didn’t pay him a penny. On the flip side, the way the NBA is now (meaningless regular season), KI is talented enough to miss a bunch of games and still be worth a max salary, at least to BKN while Durant is there. But a player with a part time commitment has little positive (or negative) value, particularly when he’s using up finite payroll space (paid or not).
I think it would be best all around for KI to just opt in for next season. I do mean all around, even for KI. What he losses in long term security isn’t really worth that much in light of his circumstances and perspectives. He’ll give himself a chance to re-gain stuff (too long a list) that a negotiated agreement this summer can’t give him.
As little leverage as Kyrie should have, Brooklyn has less. Losing him for nothing and being left with KD, the ghost of Ben Simmons, and Nic Claxton is beyond a doomsday scenario for BK, and while it’s possible *no one* will offer Kyrie a hefty long term deal, it’s not particularly likely.
If there’s even a possibility of him leaving for nothing then Brooklyn has no choice but to outbid, or work out a sign and trade – but in either case Irving gets paid, even if maybe not quite the max.
BRK did not come together for the playoffs. Irving cannot plan for that assumption; he needs to show up and assimilate. His CLE experience may have given him the wrong impression, winning a title when he missed the first third of the RS.
A decision is not urgent… Marks should make him play 70 games to show he’s worth a longterm commitment.
I know they wont do this and I know that others will think im crazy, BUT….
Kyrie is not a mystery. He will do whatever he wants regardless of how it affects the team he is on or the NBA. You cannot rely on that type of player. So…
Either move him or dump his lazy, cry baby ass.
Kyrie has done nothing but hit one shot. That is it. He ruined Duke’s Tourney run and lost. He sucked and did nothing in Cleveland until Lebron came, he sat out and tanked in Boston and then claimed he was racially discriminated against when people just hate him bc he is an ahole, and he just ruined Brooklyn’s best chance at winning a title bc he does not understand vaccines OR mandates OR the law.
Dump him now or be forever tainted by his BS.
Ask the Celtics how long it took to get the Kyrie Taint off of them.
Falls off the ends of the earth. Bye bye
No one should sign him. Time to make a stand
Most teams would trade for him.
Kyrie is thinking things weren’t so bad with Lebron after all…
I was wondering if that wasn’t a hint that he’d be okay with a LeBron reunion.