The Brooklyn Nets are in an uncomfortable position with Kyrie Irving right now. As talented and gifted as he is, he’s in jeopardy of missing half of the season due to his refusal to get vaccinated.
Kyrie is entitled to his own views and has cited personal reasons and his own research as the reasons not to get the vaccine. While that’s fair enough, it still doesn’t solve the Nets’ issue.
Some analysts believe that Kevin Durant could eventually try and force the Nets to trade Kyrie if he doesn’t get the vaccine, but given their relationship that seems unlikely at this point.
Also, teams would be wary to trade for Irving with two years and north of $70 million left in his contract, especially given his recent history with unjustified absences and his controversial views.
Moreover, Tim Bontemps and Bobby Marks of ESPN recently reported that Nets General Manager Sean Marks is still optimistic about getting Kyrie to sign a contract extension pretty soon, although those talks have stalled for obvious reasons:
“Meanwhile, Irving is eligible to sign a four-year, $187 million extension with Brooklyn.
After Durant signed his extension this summer, Nets general manager Sean Marks expressed optimism an agreement could be reached with Irving, but those talks are on ice, sources said,” read the report.
Kyrie Irving has yet to report to the Nets and he won’t even be able to practice with them due to the mandate. They even let him out of their promotional emails for home games and ticket holders.
Irving’s future, as per usual, is a huge question mark right now. He’s a crucial piece of their championship aspirations and some are still optimistic that he will cave in eventually and get the shot. But right now, what he’ll do or don’t is anybody’s guess.
