The Kyrie Irving situation has put the Brooklyn Nets in a very uncomfortable situation ahead of the 2022 NBA offseason. The Brooklynites had a terrible 2021/22 season, where their off-court controversies made more noise than their performances on the court, ultimately finishing in the first round of the playoffs with a sweep against the Boston Celtics.
The team’s front office is now trying to assemble a competitive team to bounce back next season and challenge the rest of the competition for the championship. However, it seems like they could have a different roster without one of their best players.
According to Kristian Winfield of New York Daily News, the Nets are unwilling to offer a long-term contract to Kyrie Irving, meaning he could leave the franchise if a better offer comes to the table. The executives must find a solution to this problem, especially knowing that their superstar hasn’t communicated to them.
Winfield also writes that Kevin Durant hasn’t talked with the team’s officials since the first-round elimination. If Kyrie doesn’t stay in Barclays Center, the situation could be worse for the organization:
If Irving leaves outright as a free agent this summer, disgruntled by the Nets’ hardball stance on his availability, Brooklyn doesn’t have the cap space to replace him with a star, which means Durant, entering Year 16, could be playing with a questionable Ben Simmons (back surgery) and a roster full of role players.
That’s a first-round exit at best — if Durant stays to see it, and according to multiple sources, Durant and the Nets front office have not spoken since they were swept out of the first round.
A couple of days ago, the Nets GM stated that they are looking for guys who wanted to be part of something bigger than them and were committed to the team, which sounded like a jab at Kyrie. Now, we learn that the team doesn’t want to offer him a long-term deal, which could become the beginning of the end for the team.
Kyrie and KD have been in Brooklyn since 2019. They started playing together in 2020, but have been unable to make it past the second round of the playoffs. This situation doesn’t look that promising for the team, and they need to find a solution if they aspire to be champions in the near future.
