Getty The Nets have a Kyrie Irving decision to make.
The Brooklyn Nets have the workings of a new trio following the trade of James Harden, but the pieces still aren’t where they need to be.
Ben Simmons is still away from the team and Kyrie Irving is still a part-time player, but Kevin Durant is back from injury and ready to lead the Nets on a deep playoff run.
Currently, they’re sitting in the 8th seed and they would be in the play-in tournament if the season ended today.
Lots of drama has swirled around the Nets all year whether it’s Irving’s availability, Durant’s injury or Harden wanting out. With some of the distractions gone, the Nets appear ready to get back to playing basketball.
While that might be the case for the rest of the season, the Nets will have a decision to make in the offseason about Irving. If the star guard declines his player option, he’ll hit free agency, and Bleacher Report’s Grant Hughes says the Nets could decide to actually part ways with the future Hall of Famer.
Could Irving Walk?
GettyKyrie Irving #11 of the Brooklyn Nets gestures during the second quarter against the Washington Wizards.
There’s a real possibility Irving could find a new team in the offseason, especially considering his first big three of himself, Durant and Harden is no longer a thing.
Hughes argues it could be worth considering for the Nets to actually rid themselves of the headache, despite the talent Irving possesses.
“It would be tough to lose such a talent for nothing in that worst-case scenario, but imagine the stress relief of no longer having to play ringmaster in the ongoing Kyrie circus,” he writes.
Acquiring Irving was a huge deal for the team, but his tenure in Brooklyn has been a mixed bag. As Hughes notes, he’s averaged just 58 games per season, and that’s prior to the mandate putting his available in question.
Irving can pick up a $36.7 million option if he chooses to in the offseason, and that would give the Nets an extra year of him, Durant and presumably Simmons playing together.
If the Nets want to go in a different direction, that would be worst-case scenario for them.
“The core question, really, is whether Brooklyn even wants to continue the Kyrie experience, Hughes says. “So far, it’s been marked by mercurial absences and controversy, and it may have cost the team James Harden. You have to wonder whether some part of the Brooklyn brass hopes Irving opts out and walks.”
Lots of Decisions to Make
GettyBrooklyn Nets big man Blake Griffin celebrates a three-point basket during a game against the Detroit Pistons.
Hughes mentions that Irving isn’t the only decision the Nets have to make this offseason, albeit none of them come close to the importance of him.
“Nic Claxton is headed for restricted free agency, and a gaggle of post-prime vets—Blake Griffin, LaMarcus Aldridge, Andre Drummond, Goran Dragic and James Johnson—are all ticketed for the unrestricted market,” he says.
There’s a decent chance that the Nets will look like a totally different team next season, and if Brooklyn fizzles out early in the playoffs, that might not be a bad thing.
The reality is that nobody knows what a fully healthy Brooklyn Nets team looks like, and they were robbed of what that could’ve looked like with Harden in the fold. On paper, they are a championship contender, but it’s a whole lot deeper than that.
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