Kyrie Irving, Brooklyn Nets Likely To Agree To Long-Term Deal
Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant joined the Brooklyn Nets ahead of the start of the 2019-20 season with one goal in mind – competing for a championship.
With these two superstars leading the charge, the Nets have made the playoffs each of the last three seasons, but they have one just one playoff series, advancing to the Eastern Conference Semifinals in 2021 and losing to the Milwaukee Bucks in seven games.
This franchise has been on a rollercoaster ride for years now between the drama of trading for James Harden and all the drama that has surrounded Kyrie relating to the COVID-19 vaccine requirements in New York City and most recently, his suspension this season due to a controversial antisemitic post on social media.
Being 52 games into the season, the Nets currently find themselves 31-19 and within striking distance of the 1-seed in the Eastern Conference ahead of the All-Star break despite Kevin Durant being out since January 8 with a right MCL injury.
Brooklyn has been able to sustain success because of how good Kyrie Irving has been and when he is on the floor, Irving is continuing to prove that he is one of the premier stars in this league.
Obviously how this season ends for the Nets will dictate a lot of their plans heading into the offseason, but the number one thing this franchise will have to address, regardless if they win a championship or not, is Irving’s future with the organization.
Opting into his player option this past offseason, Irving finds himself in the final year of his contract in Brooklyn with questions being asked about whether or not the franchise will be keeping him long-term.
There were discussions about the Nets possibly looking to trade Kyrie Irving in the offseason with the Los Angeles Lakers being suitors for him, but these trade talks seemed to settle down following Summer League and nothing ever came of it.
The Nets do not seem to be in a rush to get a new deal done with Irving, as they will likely take their time and see how this season unfolds, but the underlying question everyone wants to know is will Kyrie Irving be back in a Nets’ uniform next season?
“My stance along with the stance of executives around the league and I think you can also say with the Brooklyn Nets as well is that both sides need each other at the end of the day,” HoopsHype’s Michael Scotto said on The Fast Break Podcast recently. “When Kyrie debated what to do with his player option last year, you know behind the scenes, first of all there was not a lot of cap space, but for a lot of teams, Kyrie Irving, as great of an individual talent he is, he can be a polarizing player for people around the league. For Brooklyn, when he has his head on and it is just about basketball, he is one of the elite players in this league and he and Kevin Durant form a great duo.”
Kyrie and Durant are one of the league’s best scoring duos, as they are currently combining to average 57.0 points per game this season.
In regards to Irving’s worth to the Nets, he truly is irreplaceable given that Brooklyn will not find another Top-20, possibly even Top-15, talent in this league via free agency.
Not to mention, the Nets have virtually no trade assets to go out and bring in another superstar for Irving at this time.
“There is a want from both sides to get a deal done and when there is a will, there is a way,” Scotto continued. “There is still a lot that will happen, but I would expect Kyrie Irving to be back next season.”
Who knows what kind of contract the Nets are thinking about offering Kyrie Irving, but it does seem like the All-Star guard will not be going anywhere.
Irving wants to be in Brooklyn and at the end of the day, it is hard to envision a scenario in which the Nets would not want him back either, especially since he and Kevin Durant form a championship-contending duo in the Eastern Conference.
The Nets are not far off from being a real contender and when Durant returns, this team may have everything they need to possibly win the East this season.
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