Getty Kyrie Irving #11 of the Brooklyn Nets leads the offense in the second half against the Milwaukee Bucks during game two of the Eastern Conference second round series at Barclays Center on June 07, 2021.
After a week of turmoil, Brooklyn Nets point guard Kyrie Irving revealed he is picking up his player option and returning to the team next season.
After a brief flirtation with the Los Angeles Lakers, something that may not even be finished, Irving is coming back to the Nets on a $37 million deal for one year. What happens after that remains to be seen, and in not getting an extension done, Irving has left himself open to a whole year of rumors.
For the time being, the attention can now focus on what the Nets will be like going forward with a core of Ben Simmons, Kevin Durant, and Irving.
Stephen A. Smith posted a video on Twitter following the Irving opting-in news and gave him a challenge: show up to work.
Irving Hit With a Challenge
KYRIE opted in!!!
Typically Smith shares his thoughts on ESPN’s First Take, but with him on vacation, he had to resort to a two-minute Twitter video.
He didn’t miss a beat and hit Irving with a truth bomb of the simple fact that he has to show up to work if he wants to get a long-term contract from the Nets or another team.
“So you gotta go to work?” he asked. “You gotta show up to work. You actually gotta go to work. You gotta go up there and earn that money. You gotta show up to work.”
Smith has long said that Irving could miss time at any given time, and that’s backed up by the fact Irving has missed a little over 30 percent of his games over his career, with many of them coming during his tenure with the Nets.
“Guess what, Kyrie,” he continued. “No matter what options you may think you have down the road, it all starts with you having to show up to work first. Show up to work then you got a future where you’re gonna make your money. You don’t show up to work, you’re stuck. Because even if somebody wants you, they’re still gonna require that you show up to work. Which means those long-term commitments, that guaranteed four-years over $200 million that was waiting for you, ain’t gonna work that way.”
What’s Next for Kyrie?
GettyKyrie Irving of the Brooklyn Nets.
Just because Irving has opted in with the Nets, that doesn’t mean the rumors will end. The Athletic’s Shams Charania reports teams will continue inquiring about the star guard.
“Several teams are expected to continue to pursue Irving via trade, but his opt-in makes clubs consider more closely whether to trade assets in a deal for a player who will enter unrestricted free agency in 2023,” he wrote. “Teams across the league understand Irving’s talent, and now a full season in 2022-23 allows him the opportunity to prove himself once again, then return to the market and earn a maximum contract next summer. ”
Irving’s talent has never been in question, but his availability, as Smith mentions, has always been a concern for prospective teams. That whole narrative can change if Irving plays a full season with the Nets in the upcoming year.
READ NEXT: Nets Hit With Truth Bomb About Kyrie Irving’s Looming Free Agency
Comments
Nets Star Kyrie Irving Issued Strong Challenge