UPDATE
3:48 PM PT — And just like that … Kyrie Irving is staying with the Brooklyn Nets.
Just hours after reports of the superstar guard getting permission to seek a trade, Shams Charania says the 2016 NBA champ is opting into his player option — worth $37 million — to remain on board in 2022-23.
Kyrie seemed to react to the news breaking … using a GIF to get his point across.
Kyrie Irving is one step closer to getting out of Brooklyn — the Nets have granted the NBA superstar’s wish and allowed him to seek a trade after spending just 3 seasons with the team, according to local outlets.
The NY Daily News reports Irving — who signed with the Nets as a free agent in 2019 — was given the green light to find teams willing to trade for the superstar guard.
Irving — who turned 30 this past March — has until June 29 to pick up his $36.9 million player option … and is reportedly seeking a long-term deal, which the Nets apparently don’t want to make happen.
The Nets’ apprehension in signing Irving to a long-term deal reportedly has nothing to do with his on-court productivity … rather, it’s Kyrie’s reliability and dependability that the team can’t trust.
In his 3 years in Brooklyn, Irving has played in 103 regular-season games for the Nets … and over the course of that span, Irving missed 123 games due to injury, personal reasons, and his refusal to get vaccinated against Covid-19.
Even still, despite the health concerns and his vaccination status, Irving’s talent has drawn interest from several NBA teams … including the Lakers, Clippers, Knicks, Heat, 76ers, and Mavericks.
As for Kevin Durant … the Nets superstar reportedly hasn’t spoken with the front office since the offseason began, and it doesn’t seem KD is pressuring Kyrie to stay with the team.
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