Kyrie Irving and the Brooklyn Nets organization still have “ground to cover” for both sides to agree on a possible extension, according to Jake Fischer of Bleacher Report.
According to Fischer, the Nets prefer a shorter deal with incentives that include “benchmarks, such as games played.” Irving has indicated he’d like a long-term contract despite missing significant time due to injuries and COVID-19 vaccine mandates.
Currently, both sides are open to engaging in contract negotiations regarding Irving’s future in Brooklyn. According to Fischer, Nets officials expect Irving, Kevin Durant, and Ben Simmons to play in Brooklyn next season, an assumption the team has held since falling to Boston in the first round of the playoffs.
While Irving and the Nets are open to negotiations, it seems there is a slight divide between the two sides. Rumblings of Irving being interested in joining the Los Angeles Lakers or New York Knicks have heated up, but there is no tangible assurance to either of those claims. If he were to join the Lakers or Knicks, Irving would have to either decline his $36.5 million extension with Brooklyn and become an unrestricted free agent or opt-in with the Nets and demand a trade.
A seven-time All-Star, Irving has not played more than 54 games in three of the last four seasons. The 30-year-old averaged 27.4 points, 5.8 assists, and 4.4 rebounds per game in 20 regular-season games last year.
In April, he averaged 21.3 points, 5.3 assists, and 5.3 rebounds per game in Brooklyn’s first-round playoff defeat against Boston.
