Getty Russell Westbrook, Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving warm up during the NBA All-Star Game 2018
The Brooklyn Nets still are undecided on if they will offer their All-Star point guard Kyrie Irving a long-term extension. Irving is entering the final year of his deal and has a player option where he can opt in to the last year or elect to become a free agent this summer. Having already parted ways with one All-Star guard in James Harden, the Nets will likely want to make sure they get more value in any potential sign and trades for Irving should he opt out. Ben Stinar of “Sports Illustrated” suggests a trade where the Nets and Lakers swap Irving and Russell Westbrook.
Kyrie Irving for Russell Westbrook who says no
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Kyrie Sounds off on Playing in LeBron’s Shadow
The trade would reunite Kyrie with his former Cleveland Cavaliers teammate LeBron James. LeBron and Kyrie famously beat the Golden State Warriors in the 2016 NBA Finals. Together they had three consecutive Finals appearances losing twice to the Warriors before Kyrie requested a trade to the Boston Celtics in 2017. During a recent appearance on the “I am an Athlete podcast” Irving admitted that playing in LeBron’s shadow became exhausting at times.
“When I first got to Cleveland… that was an uncomfortable position for me to be in the city where you got the hometown kid going to the Heat and then I get drafted afterward, and now I’m being asked every single day, ‘What about LeBron? What about this?’” Kyrie said.
“For my career thus far, since I asked for the trade… ‘What’s up with you and LeBron?’ Everybody keeps asking me the same questions over and over again.”
Kyrie Explains Why He Chose Trade to Celtics
Although Irving admitted that LeBron was a factor in him wanting out of Cleveland, he says that his outlook on the Celtics organization at the time also made requesting a trade relatively easier.
“When Boston came calling, I was like, ‘Absolutely, this makes sense!’” Kyrie continued. “I was like, ‘Why not Boston?’ It’s the Boston Celtics. This is one of the most historical franchises. My mom and my dad went to Boston University. I got my first offer from Boston University when I was in fifth grade. I used to be up at summer camp (in Boston) for two weeks at a time… It wasn’t foreign to me when they said ‘We want you to be part of our future.’”
The Nets’ reluctance to sign Kyrie to a long-term deal may come as a surprise to some, but it should not. Irving has only played 29 games with the Nets this season, and during his entire tenure with the Nets, he has not played a full 82-game season.
Kyrie was considered a cornerstone piece for the Nets when they brought him to Brooklyn in 2019. And although his availability has been sporadic since his arrival, it’s hard to see the Nets front office abandoning ship now.
The hesitancy to commit to Irving long-term likely has to do with the Nets wanting to protect themselves in a new deal through contract clauses. In addition, Sean Marks has iterated on multiple occasions that he wants players who are fully committed to the franchise. While the Nets’ reluctance to commit to Irving long-term is alarming, it is more than likely that he will still be a Net in 2023.
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