Kyrie Irving Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Nets Won’t Permit Kyrie Irving To Be Part-Time Player

October 12th, 2021 at 10:06am CST by Luke Adams

The Nets have decided that they’re not comfortable with guard Kyrie Irving only playing in half the team’s games due to his vaccination status. Brooklyn issued a press release today announcing that Irving won’t play or practice with the team until he can be a “full participant,” with general manager Sean Marks explaining the organization’s stance.

“Kyrie has made a personal choice, and we respect his individual right to choose,” Marks said in a statement. “Currently the choice restricts his ability to be a full-time member of the team, and we will not permit any member of our team to participate with part-time availability.

“It is imperative that we continue to build chemistry as a team and remain true to our long-established values of togetherness and sacrifice. Our championship goals for the season have not changed, and to achieve these goals each member of our organization must pull in the same direction. We are excited for the start of the season and look forward to a successful campaign that will make the borough of Brooklyn proud.”

Irving is the only player on the Nets who remains unvaccinated against COVID-19. A New York City executive order requires individuals who work in the city to have received at least one dose of a COVID vaccine in order to enter indoor venues such as Barclays Center.

The Nets appeared to catch a break last week when the city deemed the team’s practice facility, the HSS Center, a private office building, allowing Irving to practice both at home and on the road. However, there was no wiggle room on his ability to play in games in New York.

Taking into account the Nets’ 41 home games and their two games at Madison Square Garden, Irving would be ineligible to play in 43 of 82 regular season contests this season as long as he remains unvaccinated and the city’s executive order remains unchanged.

Although Irving would have been eligible to play in Brooklyn’s other 39 games, it would have been a very stop-and-start process, especially since the Nets have seven home stands this season of three games or more. The team has decided it would be untenable to have the point guard only available on the road, a decision that involved stars Kevin Durant and James Harden in addition to Marks and team owner Joe Tsai, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (link via RealGM).

Now that the Nets have clarified their position, it’ll be fascinating to see what comes next. Irving could immediately end the standoff by agreeing to be vaccinated, but if he digs in his heels, the team will have to determine whether it will indefinitely suspend the seven-time All-Star.

Exploring the trade market is another option the Nets could consider, since Irving would be eligible to play in all 82 games in most other NBA cities. However, the 29-year-old isn’t expected to have a ton of trade value, given his mercurial personality and his expiring contract.

Atlantic Notes: Nash, Irving, Sixers, Raptors

October 10th, 2021 at 3:59pm CST by Rory Maher

Kyrie Irving is back with the Nets, but he won’t be traveling with the team for tomorrow’s preseason game at Philadelphia, and coach Steve Nash seems resigned to the fact that Irving is going to start missing home games unless he gets vaccinated, according to Brian Lewis of the New York Post.

“I think we recognize he’s not playing home games,” said Nash. “We’re going to have to for sure play without him this year; so it just depends on when, where and how much.”

However, Nash also noted that things can change quickly in this unprecedented situation, per Lewis.

“Right now we assume he’s not going to be available for home games,” Nash said. “Anything can change. Who’s to say, the city’s ordinance could change? Anything could change.”

“Right now we’re just trying to remain flexible, open-minded and figure it out as we go, because information is coming in by the half-day here, whether it’s Paul [Millsap’s health and safety protocol] situation, Kyrie’s situation or the laws. We found out Friday he could come in the building, so things are shifting. No one’s been through this before, and we’re just trying to figure it out as we go.”

Here’s more from the Atlantic Division:

Tyrese Maxey and Shake Milton of the Sixers appear locked in a battle over the starting point guard spot with Ben Simmons still away from the team, writes Derek Bodner of The Athletic. The players have taken turns starting the team’s first two preseason games, with mixed results for both. However, Bodner thinks Maxey has much higher upside and should be given the opportunity to start, given Milton’s physical limitations.
In the same article, Bodner notes that second-year guard Isaiah Joe has been outstanding thus far in the preseason and is making a strong case for a spot in the Sixers‘ rotation. Joe is averaging 16.5 PPG while shooting 7-12 (58.3%) from three, and he’s also shown growth as a shot-creator and defender. Coach Doc Rivers has taken notice, per Bodner. “He’s starting to put the ball on the floor. That’s something he couldn’t do (last year),” Rivers said. “He made plays tonight getting into the paint there’s no way he could have done that last year. Good for him because he’s putting all the work in.”
The Raptors have been impressed with free agent acquisition Sviatoslav Mykhailiuk thus far, writes Doug Smith of the Toronto Star.
Khem Birch is out of health and safety protocols and could be available for the Raptors tomorrow against Houston, tweets Josh Lewenberg of TSN Sports.

New York Notes: Irving, Bacon, Selden, G League

October 9th, 2021 at 9:18pm CST by Rory Maher

Kyrie Irving rejoined the Nets for a light workout at the Brooklyn Park Bridge earlier this afternoon, writes Zach Braziller of the New York Post.

Braziller notes that before the public event, Irving posted a tweet that seemed to indicate he still might be hesitant to get vaccinated against COVID-19. Irving received a large ovation from the crowd, and new teammate Patty Mills seems glad to have him back, Braziller relays.

“I think we’re taking it one step at a time, so to have everyone here outside at this [event] is pretty special,” Mills said.

Braziller opines that this represents minor progress, but Irving’s vaccination status is still front and center for the team.

Here’s more from New York:

Dwayne Bacon and Wayne Selden appear to be the frontrunners for the 15th roster spot for the Knicks, relays Stefan Bondy of The New York Daily News. Coach Tom Thibodeau appears non-committal as to who might have the upper hand. “We have a number of guys who are battling it out,” Thibodeau said. “(Bacon) is a good competitor and obviously his length, his wing play. Wayne Selden has been terrific, along with Dwayne. Both guys are really solid veterans that can add to a team.” Thibodeau also said that M.J. Walker and Aamir Simms are still in the running as well, per Bondy, and who wins out might come down to who shows the most in practices.
The Knicks‘ G League affiliate, the Westchester Knicks, will be relocating to Bridgeport, CT for the upcoming season, the team announced in a press release. The team’s normal home arena, the Westchester County Center, is currently being used as a COVID-19 vaccination site.
In a member-only article, Brian Lewis of The New York Post writes that he believes that Irving’s situation has morphed into a public crisis for the Nets.

New York Notes: Durant, Irving, Harden, Burks, Fournier

October 9th, 2021 at 9:29am CST by Dana Gauruder

Kevin Durant‘s latest comments on Kyrie Irving sounded like a plea for the Nets All-Star point guard to get vaccinated and rejoin the team for the entire season, as Nets Videos relays (Twitter link).

“We want him here for the whole thing,” Durant said. “We want him here for games, home games, practices, away games, shootarounds all of it. Hopefully, we can figure this thing out.”

The latest development on the Irving saga came Friday, when the team was informed that he could practice with the team but not play in home games.

We have more from the New York City teams:

Nets guard James Harden struggled in his preseason debut on Friday against Milwaukee, scoring eight points and committing four turnovers. Harden said it was an odd experience after missing playoff games and spending most of the offseason recovering from a hamstring strain, Brian Lewis of the New York Post writes. “Practice is different obviously, but just being on the court and having to move felt weird. But I’ll get adjusted to it,” he said.
Alec Burks‘ ability to make an immediate impact on a game is a luxury for Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau, Peter Botte of the New York Post writes. “We were in desperate need of shooting, so he provided shot-making, playmaking,” Thibodeau said. “He can go off the dribble, can play three positions, and he can function as a starter or a guy off the bench. As soon as you put him in the game, he’s ready to go.” Burks re-signed with the Knicks in August on a three-year, $30MM pact.
Knicks wing Evan Fournier was added mainly to bring some offensive punch but he vows to not be a defensive liability, Botte relays in a separate story. “I consider myself a guy that competes really hard, so I’m not concerned about the defense at all,” he said. “Even as a unit, we’re going to be good defensively.” Fournier was acquired in a sign-and-trade from Boston on a four-year deal worth up to $78MM.

Kyrie Irving Cleared To Practice, Still Can’t Play Home Games

October 8th, 2021 at 6:02pm CST by Rory Maher

A New York City Hall official has informed Shams Charania of The Athletic (via Twitter) that Kyrie Irving has been cleared to practice with the Nets in Brooklyn, but Irving still can’t play home games until he meets the city’s vaccination requirement.

The reasoning for the change, according to Charania, is that the city has deemed the Nets’ practice facility, the HSS Center, a private office building (Twitter link).

Coach Steve Nash was cautiously optimistic upon being informed of Charania’s reporting, saying, “It’s positive to be able to welcome (Irving) back into the building him and have him be part of the team…it sounds like it’s positive news.” (per Brian Lewis of The New York Post, via Twitter).

Nash is hopeful Irving will be able to practice tomorrow at the Brooklyn Park Bridge, but couldn’t confirm his availability. He also said that Paul Millsap is out for tonight’s preseason game due to health and safety protocols, meaning he either tested positive for COVID-19 or was deemed a close contact of someone who did (Twitter links via Lewis).

Check out the latest reports on Irving here.

Latest On Kyrie Irving

October 8th, 2021 at 2:51pm CST by Luke Adams

As long he remains unvaccinated against COVID-19, All-Star guard Kyrie Irving would have more value in a market where he could play all 82 games than he currently does in Brooklyn, where a local vaccine mandate would prevent him from playing in more than half of the team’s games this season.

However, even if the Nets were to explore the trade market for Irving, they may not find a ton of enthusiastic suitors, according to Tim Bontemps and Bobby Marks of ESPN, who suggest the 29-year-old wouldn’t be a sure thing to report to a new team. Marc Stein of Substack conveys a similar sentiment in his latest article, writing that there’s a belief “in some corners of the league” that Irving would seriously consider retirement if the Nets were to trade him.

Irving’s unpredictable, mercurial nature is probably one reason why the Sixers, according to Stein, haven’t shown any interest yet in a exploring a trade involving Kyrie and Ben Simmons. Even if Irving were willing to join a new team, his ability to hit free agency in 2022 may diminish his appeal to potential suitors, including Philadelphia, says Stein.

Here’s more on Irving:

Nets general manager Sean Marks previously expressed interest in signing Irving to a contract extension this offseason, but those discussions are “on ice” for now, sources tell Bontemps and Marks.
The Nets explored the possibility of moving their practices outside of New York City to accommodate Irving, but decided against it for a variety of reasons, including a desire to have access to all their facilities, per Bontemps and Marks. Head coach Steve Nash has also said the Nets haven’t been in communication with Irving about his personal workouts while he’s away from the team. “It’s not something we’ve discussed,” Nash said.
James Harden stated on Thursday that Irving’s absence would hurt the Nets, since he’s “one of our best players and one of our leaders,” as NetsDaily relays. However, while Harden said he “of course” wants Kyrie to be on the team, he added that he’s not disappointed by his teammate’s stance. “It’s not disappointing at all. It’s not disappointing,” Harden said. “Kai believes in what he believes in. His family is behind him, we’re behind him. That’s all that it is.”

Eastern Notes: Harrell, Thybulle, Irving, Reddish, Toppin, Young

October 7th, 2021 at 9:45pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Former Sixth Man of the Year Montrezl Harrell feels like the Lakers didn’t play him enough last season, according to Chase Hughes of NBC Sports Washington. The Wizards big man is happy to get a fresh start. He averaged 4.2 fewer shot attempts per game with the Lakers than his final year with the Clippers.

“I’m trying to just get back to playing basketball freely and just get back to enjoying the game and just being able to help my team on both ends of the floor. I didn’t really get to be utilized how I wanted to be last year,” he said. “I damn near felt like I had a season off. So, I’m using this preseason to really ramp back up and knock off a lot of the rust on my own game, really.”

Playing more would help to boost his value. Harrell, who is making $9.72MM this season, will be an unrestricted free agent next summer.

We have more from the Eastern Conference:

Sixers swingman Matisse Thybulle has a sore right shoulder and will be out at least a week, Derek Bodner of The Athletic tweets. He’ll undergo rehab for the injury and be reevaluated sometime next week. Thybulle was named to the All-Defensive Second Team last season.
Kyrie Irving is listed as ineligible to play for the Nets’ preseason home opener on Friday, according to The Associated Press. It’s an indication that Irving remains unvaccinated. He practiced with the Nets last week when they held training camp in San Diego, but he hasn’t been able to practice with the team under New York City restrictions.
Cam Reddish heard his name pop up in trade rumors this offseason but the Hawks forward puts a positive spin on it, Chris Kirchner of The Athletic writes. “It didn’t affect me at all,” Reddish said. “It’s really a compliment when you think about it. It’s all good. I just have to control what I can control. Clearly, I have some decent value, so that’s a compliment.”
Knicks second-year Obi Toppin is determined to establish himself after a spotty rookie campaign, Steve Popper of Newsday writes. He’s gotten in better shape and feels “a lot more comfortable” going into his sophomore campaign. “I feel like I’ve put in a lot of work this summer, not only me but everyone here,” he said. “We put in a lot of work and there is just the start. … I feel like I just have a little bit more knowledge of being here now. I feel like I’ve kind of put my foot in the water already, so I kind of have a feel of what it’s like playing out there.”
Hawks star guard Trae Young feels all the pieces are in place for a championship run, according to Michael Pina of Sports Illustrated. “We have everything,” Young said. Pina takes an in-depth look at Young’s development and his supporting cast.

New York Notes: Nets, Thomas, Irving, Knicks

October 7th, 2021 at 8:30am CST by Luke Adams

The 2025 second-round pick the Nets acquired from the Pacers in the Edmond Sumner trade completed on Wednesday includes some light protection, reports ESPN’s Bobby Marks (Twitter link).

According to Marks, the 2025 second-rounder – which is actually Miami’s pick, not Indiana’s – will be top-37 protected. If it lands between 38-60, the Nets will get it, but if it ends up between 31-37, the Pacers will hang onto it.

The terms make sense, given that Sumner’s $2.3MM salary is a relatively small number for a salary dump. The Nets had to surrender an unprotected 2024 second-round pick when they sent Sekou Doumbouya and his larger cap hit ($3.6MM) to Houston in a separate trade earlier on Wednesday.

Here’s more on the NBA’s two New York teams:

In a story for The Ringer, Kevin O’Connor takes an in-depth look at how the Nets constructed their roster and the role that talented scorer Cameron Thomas could play for the team in his rookie year. O’Connor also notes that the Nets players with whom he spoke seem “unmoved” by Kyrie Irving‘s vaccination status, suggesting the issue hasn’t become a distraction in the locker room.
In his recap of the Knicks‘ offseason moves and preview of their upcoming season, John Hollinger of The Athletic writes that 2022 will be the first time in a few years that New York won’t have any cap room, but points out that the team projects to be well below the tax line this season and going forward. That flexibility – along with the team’s stash of draft picks – could put the front office in position to take a big swing on the trade market at some point.
The Knicks‘ bench was one of their strengths last season and the team is hoping that bringing back many of the same pieces for 2021/22 will allow that success to carry over to the new season, writes Zach Braziller of The New York Post. “I feel like our second unit, because we’re kind of the same as last year, I feel like we’re comfortable playing with each other and it’s just a matter of getting on the court, doing what we have to do to either keep the lead, improve the lead or (get) it back if we’re down a couple of points,” forward Obi Toppin said. “We know when we get onto the court our job is to bring the energy and just fight as much as we can, so when the first unit comes back in, they know they just got to continue off of what we did.”

Atlantic Notes: Durant, Irving, Quickley, Stevens, Joe

October 6th, 2021 at 7:30pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Nets All-Star forward Kevin Durant is trying to stay optimistic as the Kyrie Irving situation drags on, Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPN writes. Irving can’t practice at the team’s facility and will have to miss more than half of its games unless he changes his mind and gets vaccinated. Durant believes Irving will eventually rejoin his teammates.

“I’m envisioning Kyrie being a part of our team,” Durant said. “Maybe I’m just naïve, but that is just how I feel. But I think everybody here has that confidence in themselves, in our group, that if we keep building, we can do something special.”

We have more from the Atlantic Division:

The Knicks have a crowded backcourt but second-year guard Immanuel Quickley remains part of the team’s plans. Coach Tom Thibodeau believes he can play Quickley in a number of different guard combinations, according to Fred Katz of The Athletic. “The great value with (Quickley) is that he plays with Derrick (Rose) and Alec (Burks), and so really the point (guard) is interchangeable with those guys. They move the ball and they make plays for each other real well,” Thibodeau said. “So, oftentimes, Quickley will bring it up. Derrick will bring it up. Alec could bring it up or we’ll get into dribble-handoffs. … We’re gonna fly around.”
Celtics president of basketball operations Brad Stevens doesn’t miss the daily grind of being the head coach, he told A. Sherrod Blakely of Full Court Press. “I haven’t had to worry about practice plan, game plan, none of that,” said Stevens. “I’ve enjoyed watching Ime (Udoka) put the team together and figure out how he wants to play, who compliments who, and all those things that go into that.”
Sixers second-year guard Isaiah Joe is angling for playing time and he’s gotten off to a good start in the preseason, Gina Mizell of the Philadelphia Inquirer writes. He had 18 points — including four 3-pointers — three rebounds and three steals against the Raptors. “We’ve got to get him on the floor more is what I keep telling our coaches,” coach Doc Rivers said, “because those 10 guys [in the rotation] are playing so much. … I told [Joe], I don’t care what unit you’re on, just keep going back and forth.”

NBPA’s Roberts: Players Who Miss Games Due To Local Vaccine Mandates Shouldn’t Lose Salary

October 6th, 2021 at 12:52pm CST by Luke Adams

The National Basketball Players Association didn’t sign off on allowing teams to dock players 1/91.6th of their salaries for 2021/22 if they’re unable to play in a game due to a local vaccine mandate, NBPA executive director Michele Roberts tells Stefan Bondy of The New York Daily News.

The NBA announced last week that unvaccinated players who are ineligible to play in games in New York and San Francisco wouldn’t be paid for the games they miss due to those cities’ local mandates. A follow-up report indicated that the league and the players’ union had agreed on the amount of the fine for such a violation.

However, Roberts tells Bondy that while the NBPA approved that per-game penalty (1/91.6th of a player’s salary) for certain health and safety protocol violations, the union doesn’t believe it should apply to players who miss games solely for being unvaccinated.

“They’ve been reporting that we’ve agreed that if a player who was not able to play because of his non-vaccination status, they could be docked (pay),” Roberts said. “We did not agree. The league’s position is that they can. We’ll see. If we get to that point, we’ll see.”

As Roberts explains, the NBPA’s position is that a player shouldn’t be punished for being unvaccinated, since the NBA has no vaccine mandate of its own for its players. The league’s stance, per Roberts, is that the Collective Bargaining Agreement allows teams to assess those penalties without NBPA approval.

“It’s debatable. We’ll see,” Roberts said. “I’m not going to say it’s impossible, but I’m going to say it’s a bridge we’ll cross, if and when we get there. Right now, we’ve agreed that a player breaks protocols, that he can be disciplined to include some taxing of his comp. But not being vaccinated — because it’s not mandatory — in and of itself should not lead to any discipline.”

As far as we know, the only NBA player who is in real danger of being docked salary for missing games due to his vaccination status is Nets guard Kyrie Irving. The local mandates in New York and San Francisco don’t apply to visiting players, and no other Nets, Knicks, or Warriors players have been reported as unvaccinated. An unvaccinated player in another market – such as Wizards guard Bradley Beal – should still be able to play in all 82 games.

While Irving, Beal, and a handful of other unvaccinated players have been the subject of an outsized number of headlines since training camps began, Roberts reiterated that the vast majority of NBA players are fully vaccinated. She told Kavitha Davidson of The Athletic (Twitter link) that there’s now a 96% vaccination rate among NBA players, noting that vaccinated players have played a role in helping convince some of the holdouts.

“We’re doing better than companies who are mandatory vaccinations because we’re at 95-96%,” Roberts said to Bondy. “100% is still an aspiration.”