Getty Kyrie Irving #11, Brooklyn Nets
Though Brooklyn Nets star Kyrie Irving opted into the final year of his deal last summer, he was not offered a contract extension from the Nets and will be a free agent heading into this offseason. After playing just 29 games last season because he was ineligible to play home games at Barclays Center due to his unvaccinated status for COVID-19, this season is considered a prove-it year for the seven-time All-Star.
Things got off to a rocky start for Irving and the Nets, but they have quickly turned the ship around as they are in the midst of a 12-game winning streak. With Irving playing perhaps the best basketball of his Nets tenure, ESPN NBA insider Bobby Marks isn’t ruling out the possibility of the All-Star guard returning to Brooklyn next fall.
“I don’t think it’s crazy I think [Irving returning to the Nets is] probably more likely than not.”. ESPN front-office insider Bobby Marks told the New York Post on January 3. “Irving is playing on “a show-me, prove-it contract. We know what happened early in the year, but he’s warranted at least, for now, a new contract with Brooklyn.”
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Kyrie Irving Has Elevated Play During Nets Win Streak
The Nets may be riding high and racking up the wins now, but things were not all rainbows and unicorns with the team to start the season, particularly between Kyrie and the front office. For those who may be tardy to the party, Irving was suspended for eight games earlier this season after sharing the link to an anti-Semitic film.
Upon the tug of war between Kyrie and the Nets surrounding his return to the court, many people believed there was a possibility he played his last game for Brooklyn, and the front office could look to trade the star guard’s expiring contract.
But Irving’s return to the Nets has been as big a catalyst as any to their long win streak. Per the New York Post, since Irving returned from suspension on November 20, the Nets have a record of 18-3. Individually, Irving has been masterful, averaging 25.9 points per game, and shooting 52.1 percent from the field and a scorching 42.1 percent from beyond the arc.
If Irving can keep up his impressive play, it would be hard to see the Nets not offering him some variation of a max contract extension this summer.
Nets Closing in on Top Spot in the East
The Nets started the season under former head coach Steve Nash with a 2-6 record and seemingly with no direction of where the franchise was headed this season, placing as low as 13th in the Eastern Conference standings. Coming off a summer where Kevin Durant requested a trade and with Kyrie on an expiring contract, the championship window in Brooklyn seemed to be closing rapidly.
But under the leadership of Jacque Vaughan (who got elevated from interim head coach into a permanent role), the Nets have a record of 23-7 and are just a half-game behind the defending Eastern Conference champion Boston Celtics for the top spot in the conference.
The Nets can tie the Celtics for the top spot in the East with a win over the Chicago Bulls in their next game.