The Brooklyn Nets’ decision to not allow Kyrie Irving’s to play or practice with the team has left the All-Star point guard’s future up in the air.
Kyrie Irving’s refusal to get the vaccine has cost him his role on the team and his pending $186 million contract is next
Irving has not received the COVID-19 vaccine and therefore cannot play home games in Brooklyn due to New York City’s vaccination requirements.
The Nets announced Wednesday that they would not allow Irving to play or practice at all until he can be a “full-time member of the team.”
Basically, there are three outcomes from here, though no one can say for sure what will happen: Irving gets a vaccine and returns to the team, he misses the season or the Nets trade him.
It also appears that, for now, the Nets have no intention of offering Irving a sweeping nine-figure extension that general manager Sean Marks had openly talked about during the offseason. According to Shams Charania of The Athletic, that extension would be worth $186 million over four years.
Charania said on The Athletic’s “Glue Guys” podcast that the extension “won’t be offered now.”
ESPN’s Zach Lowe said on his podcast that even if Irving were to get a shot and return to the team full-time, the Nets might not offer the extension.
In addition, the Nets have no intention of paying Irving for his missed home games, which add up to $16 million if he misses all 41.
It’s a far cry from what Marks told reporters on Sept. 21, when he talked about hoping to extend Irving and James Harden after Durant’s four-year, $198 million extension.
“We’ve had very positive conversations with both of those guys …. We’re looking forward to sitting down with them over the course of the next week, two weeks, and moving forward with those discussions,” Mark said.
Six days after Marks’ comments, Irving had to call away to the Nets’ media day because he couldn’t be there in person due to New York City mandates.
