All signs point to Kyrie Irving extending with Nets

Despite a report that the Nets are “outright unwilling” to re-sign Kyrie Irving long term — and speculation about him being traded — all indications strongly point toward a reunion between Brooklyn and its All-Star point guard. Irving has until June 29 to decide whether he will opt out of the final $36.5 million year of his contract for 2022-23 and become a free agent. But both Nets and league sources told The Post an extension is more likely.
Source: Brian Lewis @ New York Post

What’s the buzz on Twitter?

Brian Lewis @NYPost_Lewis
All signs pointing to Kyrie Irving returning to #Nets, and the Post talks to #NBA sources about what a Brooklyn contract could look like. nypost.com/2022/06/06/all… via @nypostsports – 1:10 AM

Joe Vardon @joevardon
Who’d have thought Marcus Smart would have been an upgrade over Isaiah Thomas, Kyrie Irving, and Kemba Walker as Celtics point guard? Well, he did, ⁦@The Athletic⁩ theathletic.com/3349498/2022/0… – 11:05 AM

More on this storyline

But Irving is still not only close friends with Kevin Durant, but maintains a good relationship with team owners Joe and Clara Wu Tsai. The Post reported last month that a return to Brooklyn appeared a fait accompli, and sentiment around the league is Irving will re-sign. “I agree most [likely] he comes back,” a league-source well-versed in the salary cap told The Post. “As for a contract, I’d probably try to get him back at an annual rate at what he is currently making. They could give him a contract below the max with unlikely incentives that allows him to reach the max. Unlikely incentives are capped at 15 percent of a player’s salary in a given year. So they can make his salary 15 percent less than the max, then give incentives to allow him to get the full max. -via New York Post / June 7, 2022

“I agree that he will be back,” ex-Nets assistant GM and current ESPN Insider Bobby Marks told The Post, suggesting, “A contract that includes games played doesn’t trigger every season as it relates to his salary.” -via New York Post / June 7, 2022

While Irving lost time to shoulder surgery in 2019-20, but missed nine games last season on personal leave and 53 this season to his vaccine refusal. The source didn’t think any language could be written in separating games missed for injuries versus personal reasons. -via New York Post / June 7, 2022