Getty Brooklyn's James Harden takes the ball as Kyrie Irving runs behind him in the second half against the Miami Heat at Barclays Center on January 23, 2021 in New York City.
Brooklyn Nets superstar Kevin Durant was rewarded this summer with a 4-year $198 million contract extension that will keep him with the franchise until the 2025-26 season. For the Nets, this is good news as the two-time NBA Finals Most Valuable Player had continuously signed 1-year deals with the Golden State Warriors. General manager Sean Marks said earlier this summer he hopes to have all of the ‘big 3’signed long-term before training camp starts.
“I feel very confident that first day of training camp we’ll be looking at those three, in particular, being signed, sealed and delivered and being part of the Brooklyn Nets for a long time to come,” Marks told the media in August per Forbes.
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Sean Marks Talks the Future of James Harden & Kyrie Irving
The start of training camp is just days away, and so far, Durant is still the only member of the Nets to ink a long-term extension. But Marks says the goal of inking Kyrie Irving and James Harden long-term has not changed, and he intends to resume those talks with his stars over the next couple of weeks.
“Nets GM Sean Marks says BKN has had ‘very positive’ conversations with both Kyrie Irving and James Harden about signing extensions,” Ian Begley of SNY tweeted on September 21. “Says they are looking forward to continuing to talk to Irving and Harden about extensions over the next week or two.”
Per the New York Post Irving and Harden’s extensions combined would be north of $350 million. Harden would be eligible for a 3-year $161.1 million extension while Irving would be eligible for a 4-year $181.6 million extension.
Irving also could decline an extension and sign a 5-year $235 million max contract in 2022 if he were to decline his player option at the end of this season.
Nets GM Sean Marks says BKN has had ‘very positive’ conversations with both Kyrie Irving and James Harden about signing extensions. Says they are looking forward to continuing to talk to Irving and Harden about extensions over the next week or two.
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Marks Says Durant Was Eager to Get Extension Done
To some fans, whether or not all of the ‘big 3’ are locked in long-term before the start of the season may not seem like that big of a deal. But in the grand scheme of things, not having Harden or Irving inked long-term could turn into a cloud that looms over the Nets during the season.
Having the future of your stars secured just seems to make things run more smoothly. Marks says it is one of the reasons Durant was so eager to get his extension done.
“Kevin was honestly extremely straightforward about I want to be here, and I want to get it done. And I don’t blame him. He’s coming off a gold medal and wanting to really focus on recovery and getting himself ready for the season will take a little bit,” Marks said per Forbes.
“So, I think for him from a peace of mind standpoint, just putting that aside. And it was obviously very important for us. I can’t tell you how important it was. This is franchise-changing when you can lock a person like Kevin up and he wants to commit to being here for the foreseeable future.”
The Nets’ front office fell short of their goal of having all three of their stars inked before training camp. However, with their best player in Durant already signed long-term that will only be more of an incentive for Harden and Irving to get on board.
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Sean Marks Gets Candid About the Futures of James Harden & Kyrie Irving