Kyrie Irving’s standing with the Brooklyn Nets was on incredibly rocky ground a couple of months ago.
And while he has stayed out of headlines since then, his future with the Nets after this season still remains in doubt.
Irving’s agent said the seven-time All-Star wants to stay in Brooklyn and is seeking a contract extension, but any substantial talks of one with the Nets haven’t happened as of yet.
“Around Kyrie and staying with the Nets? I have reached out to the Nets regarding this,” agent Shetellia Irving told Bleacher Report’s Chris Haynes. “We have had no significant conversations to date. The desire is to make Brooklyn home, with the right type of extension, which means the ball is in the Nets’ court to communicate now if their desire is the same.”
The “right type of extension” obviously is one that comes with a hefty price tag for Kyrie Irving despite the off-the-court controversy he nearly drowned in this season. The veteran guard was suspended eight games by the Nets earlier this season for not only promoting a film on social media that contained anti-Semitic ideologies, but also not backing down from his actions in the immediate aftermath.
Irving, who is averaging 26.7 points, 5.1 rebounds and 5.0 assists heading into Wednesday’s contest against the Philadelphia 76ers, is in the final season of a four-year deal with the Nets and will be an unrestricted free agent following the 2022-23 season. Haynes reported that if Irving does hit free agency, there will be “ample interest” in the 12-year pro.
That wasn’t exactly the case this past offseason when Irving was granted permission to find a sign-and-trade partner to leave the Nets but couldn’t generate a suitable deal.
Now that maybe a team wouldn’t have to give up anything to acquire Irving, it could lead to more teams taking a risk on him despite the more than probable headache that awaits as well.
