The Brooklyn Nets are a team that could look to overhaul their roster this offseason. The 2021-22 NBA season was a disappointing one for the franchise, so Sean Marks should be looking to shake things up.
Brooklyn entered the season with a Big 3 and title aspirations. It ended with needing a victory in the NBA Play-In Tournament and a sweep at the hands of the Boston Celtics in the first round. There also isn’t a Big 3 anymore, as James Harden was traded to the Philadelphia 76ers in a deal that netted Brooklyn Ben Simmons.
Depending on how things play out in the coming weeks, the Nets could even be down to a Big 1 in Kevin Durant. That is because no one knows how the situation with Kyrie Irving is going to play out.
Irving has a player option for the 2022-23 season that he has to make a decision about. If he declines that, he is eligible for a five-year contract worth up to $245.6 million. Given the path that Brooklyn’s front office has decided to walk down, it would seem that they are at the mercy of Irving’s contract demands.
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However, the Brooklyn Nets sound like they are going to play some hardball with Irving this offseason should long-term contract negotiations take place. According to the New York Daily News, a long-term deal isn’t something Brooklyn is willing to give Irving at this point because of his inability to stay on the court, part of which is self-inflicted.
“This is why, as I’ve already written, the Nets’ championship hopes hinge on an amicable solution with Kyrie Irving, whose personal decision not to get vaccinated and unpredictable injury history have left the Nets hesitant, and now, according to a source familiar with the Nets’ thought process, outright unwilling to give him a long-term extension.”
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It is hard to blame the Nets for taking that stance with Irving. His actions, while entitled to them, come with consequences. Refusing to get the vaccine reportedly played a part in Harden wanting to move on, effectively dashing the Nets’ title chances at the same time.
A year-to-year contract is something that could work out for both sides. While Kyrie Irving would likely prefer to be locked in long-term to a deal, that isn’t a risk the Brooklyn Nets can take. Irving is too difficult to rely on and the Nets have to give themselves outs in case things go further off the rails.
