After reporting on Thursday afternoon that Kevin Durant was weighing his future in Brooklyn, potentially opening the door for Kyrie Irving to leave the Nets this offseason, Shams Charania of The Athletic further addressed the situation during Thursday night’s draft.
“Kevin Durant, I’m told, is seriously mulling his future options with the franchise and there’s an expectation that that now opens up an opportunity for Kyrie Irving to now proceed to find a new home,” Charania said (video link via Stadium). “… Whether that’s an opt-in and trade, a sign-and-trade, an opt-out and sign as a free agent, Kyrie Irving, it appears, is going to find a new home. Kevin Durant has four years left on his contract with the Nets. His future right now is very much up in the air.”
Although Charania’s wording makes it sound as if Irving is more likely to depart Brooklyn than to return, Brian Lewis of The New York Post says Kyrie and the Nets are still believed to be seeking an agreement that will keep him with the team. According to Lewis, some people around the NBA believe the recent leaks are part of an “artfully crafted and well-coordinated bluff” from Irving’s camp.
Irving’s decision on his $36.9MM player option isn’t due until next Wednesday, so the two sides still have several days to try to find common ground. Kyrie is said to be looking for a long-term contract, while the Nets prefer a shorter-term deal. Team owner Joe Tsai has “fully supported” management’s stance against making a long-term commitment to Irving, according to Ian Begley of SNY.tv (Twitter link).
Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN, who reported on Thursday that Irving has a list of at least six preferred destinations if he leaves the Nets, reiterated on ESPN’s Get Up on Friday (video link) that the Lakers appear to have the “most interest” in the seven-time All-Star.
However, given the Lakers’ lack of trade assets, Irving’s only real path to the team might be to opt out and sign for the $6.3MM taxpayer mid-level exception. Given that he and the Nets reached an impasse over how long his deal would be, it seems unlikely that he’d settle for a one-year deal and a $30MM pay cut.
According to Wojnarowski, a few of the other teams on Irving’s reported wish list – including the Mavericks, Clippers, and Sixers – are unlikely to have legitimate interest. The Knicks created some additional cap flexibility with their moves in Thursday’s draft, but are prioritizing free agent point guard Jalen Brunson over Irving, says Wojnarowski.
Still, despite an apparent lack of logical landing spots for Kyrie, Wojnarowski (video link) describes the Nets’ situation as “perilous” due to the ripple effect it could have on Irving’s good friend Durant. According to Woj, Durant isn’t a lock to request a trade if Irving leaves, but he’d want the Nets to show him that they could still build a championship-caliber roster around him.
“KD wanting to remain with the Nets is not necessarily contingent on if Kyrie Irving walks,” Wojnarowski said during a TV appearance, according to Lewis. “That, if he walks, he wants to see what the roster could still look like, how it could be reshaped, how it can still be a championship contender. (Durant is) starting that new four-year max deal. This isn’t the transfer portal. You don’t get to say where you’d like to go. So if he decided and wanted and asked for a trade — which I’m told he’s not told the Nets he’s going to do or is ready to do — he’s probably not going to have a lot of say in where he goes.
“So that has to be part of (Durant’s) thinking if he does ask out of Brooklyn,” Woj continued. “But right now, I still think there’s a pathway for the Nets, for Kyrie Irving, for Kevin Durant to find a way forward together. But it’s murky, and it’s uncertain. The future of this Nets organization very well is going to be determined here in the next several days to a week.”
You can take the Nets outta Jersey but you can’t take the Jersey outta Kyrie
Who can beat John Collins, Sharife Cooper, Cha’s 2023 1st & Atl’s 2024 1st (top5 protected) for Kevin Durant?..
Raptors can. I doubt Brooklyn would be looking for a package built around Collins anyway. If he’s traded the package is going to be built around multiple FRP and swaps and one or two young rotational players, maybe OG and a GT Jr.
Lol why would they want a package built around OG instead of Collins? Collins is the type of guy that can be leaned on as a an efficient #1 option that gives you 25/10 on a nightly basis. OG is a really good player but it’s easier to get good complementary players than guys with Collins ability to be a team’s leading scorer… also you say the package should have multiple 1st rd picks. This offer does
Collins hasn’t even shown the ability to be a consistent #2 *creator* in Atlanta
Before you say “20/10 20/10 20/10” – I’m talking about *creating offense* as in, “Give this dude the ball and make something happen”
I never called him a “*creator*”, not sure where that’s coming from. John’s much more of a scorer than a guy that’s gonna create opportunities for others. He’s a finisher, especially above the rim, but really anywhere on the court. Brooklyn can go find guards that can be playmakers for them. Actually they’d get a promising young guard that could be their future starting pg in this same deal, Sharife Cooper.
Everyone.
If/when you can think of 1 lmk
Shut up about Collins. You wrong, been shown. Cooper is a backup.
We’re talking Durant.
Get your garbage out
Just think Durant left GS for that dysfunction in Brooklyn
KD to the warriors?
Wiggins, wiseman, Moses. Chalk it up
KD doesn’t want to be the second best player on GSW.
@ARC
Good because he wouldn’t be the 2nd best player on the GSW.
Obviously wrong. Steph is, and he was when KD was a Warrior.
His ego won’t allow that.
KD to OKC will be awesome and OKC has the assets to make a strong offer. It will be the best storyline since LBJ returning to Cleveland.
I hope that last line is tongue in cheek.
So he can play 40 games and tweet his butthurt out to the world all season? To paraphrase Draymond: “He a b**ch. We don’t need him. Stay.”
@Toddy
You needed him to beat the Cavs twice. I really respect Kerr, Curry and management but I tell you, most GSW fans here are really, really arrogant fools lucky to have at least 1 competent franchise.
Facts: While Durant was weak to join them it was a contingency of Curry, Klay, Iggy and Dray that flew to HIM while on vacay to recruit him to join them after their 73 win team couldn’t close the deal vs the Cavs. Don’t act as if you were certain to have 2/4 of the dynasty without him. I really don’t think he left because of ego. I think he left because he and Dray just didn’t mesh and he just wants to go somewhere and ball. I don’t think he really cared where. Kyrie said Nets, not Knicks and he said “whatever”. I think being comfortable is more important than winning to him.
Except they recruited him to beat the rafs and the league’s help.
The 4th title proves he was a luxury, not a necessity.
They thought they needed him then. Draymond didn’t think they needed him anymore by 2019. 2022 illustrates his point, and I tend to agree.
Warriors no longer need KD. They have proved again that they can win without him.
KD isn’t winning another ring again.
@Captain
“they have proved again”… Again??? When did they prove that the first time? I mean, congrats on winning this year but you didn’t win anything since he left prior to this year.
Insert jpg of 2015 trophy here.
The Warriors don’t need KD because they have a future All Star in Jordan Poole plus 1st time All Star in Andrew Wiggins who is several years younger than KD. The Warriors have the depth right now (Gary Payton II, Juan Tuscano Anderson etc.) They won’t give up their depth for KD who is injury prone
KD>Sixers.
I believe this is a smoke screen. Kyrie isn’t leaving, sure they are debating his contract but the Nets and Kyrie both want to stay to together.
I kinda agree, but you never know with Kyrie… after that tweet about Nike i belive we can expect the unexpected with him.
Yeah, it sorta sounds like the Aaron Rodgers talk before last year’s draft. Gotta hype up the draft with rumors.
Kyrie can’t be trusted. He says one thing, then the wind blows a different direction and he changes his mind on a dime and calls you crazy when you call him out on it.
LOL agreed %100 and BTW the world is not flat as Kyrie “mentioned”…
Yeah Shams might as well just be KD’s twitter account at this point.
The thing is … as little leverage as Kyrie has, Brooklyn has a pretty similar amount. If healthy, a KD-Kyrie-Simmons core is a theoretical contender, and if Kyrie walks (to where though…?) then the entire thing goes up in flames because BK can’t replace Irving’s salary in FA.
And yet even KD still has 4 years on his deal – he definitely has more leverage than the other two parties, but depending on how Tsai feels about playing hardball, he might not have much more.
“Kevin Durant, I’m told, is seriously mulling his future options with the franchise and there’s an expectation that that now opens up an opportunity for Kyrie Irving to now proceed to find a new home,” Charania said.
What absurd nonsense. 100% from Kyrie’s camp. Why would KD mulling his options affect Kyrie’s “opportunity” to leave?
Seems like the implication is that if KD can think of leaving, it gives Kyrie permission to leave over his frustration with the Nets.
FTR, Kyrie is a nutter.
Unlikely to be traded
Irving for Herro and Lowry
Nets would pay additional $90 million luxury tax 2023-24
As a Celtics fan, I’m loving this. We all warned you Nets fans that Kyrie is a snake that can’t be trusted but 99% of you were like “Nah, he wouldn’t do that to us, we’re basically his home team, won’t ever happen”
Now he and his buddy KD are on track to completely wreck your franchise and sending right back to where you were before they both got there, Mediocrity.
Bottom line is players have way too much power and no loyalty. Fun times.
Why should players have loyalty for these huge billion $ franchises that have no loyalty to them? And why should those franchises have all of the power when its the players that are doing the lion’s share of all of the hard work that brings in the billions. It’s the players that make this league/game so interesting. Why shouldn’t they be compensated appropriately & given a say in where they work & who they work for like any other good capitalist?
Irving demand max at $245 million
What is the best option for Knicks and Lakers?
For The Lakers and Knicks fans:
Irving, 30, would presumably require a max contract, which would start at a projected $42.7 million salary in 2022-23.
If trade
What will be Knicks and Lakers handsome offer to Nets?
Burn baby burn!!! Rockets got stronger last night and any turmoil the nets have just help them along even more. Remember when everyone thought the rockets were dumb for choosing draft picks over Simmons?? How’s it looking now??
Don’t remember. Did the offer make the news?
Can the Rockets win 40 games and make the play in?
Who cares?
Breaking News!
Kyrie seeks max, multi-year-deal to play one third of each year from any sucker GM in the league.
This dude is audacious
AD and Russ for KD and Kyrie, twitter will explode.
KD be like – Ya’ll hated me for joining the Warriors? Check this out, I’m going to play with LeBron))))