MIAMI — With his unvaccinated status now a nonissue in New York City, Kyrie Irving expressed a desire to re-sign with the Nets in the summer to support Kevin Durant and their Brooklyn “legacy talk.”
Irving, who’ll become a free agent by declining his $36.6 million player option, is eligible for a five-year, $246 million max deal. Or, he can exercise his player option and sign a four-year, $190 million extension.
“It has always been about being comfortable, loving where I’m at, and I love it here,” Irving said. “Once that summertime hits, I know we’ll have some conversations. But there’s no way I can leave my man No. 7 [Durant] anywhere.
“And as we build, as you see me playing with some guys I’ve had some relationships with in the past, and this is the recipe for success — when you have guys that you’ve known for a while, young guys that are willing to listen, and then a front office that’s willing to do what’s necessary in order to build this thing for the long run. So that’s the mindset. And that’s where I’m at.”
Of course, Irving once pledged with even stronger words that he’d re-sign with the Celtics a few years ago, only to bolt the franchise for Brooklyn in free agency. But as of today, Irving is clearly in a good place with the Nets and especially Durant, who recently inked an extension and is signed through 2026.
Underscoring his long-term approach, Irving, just like Durant last week, downplayed the championship aspirations for this season while touting the bones of sustained success.
The Nets also have Ben Simmons under contract until 2025. Despite the unquestionable talent, it’s a risky plan because Durant is 33 years old with a surgically repaired Achilles tendon; Irving’s health and commitment hasn’t been reliable; and Simmons hasn’t played in nearly a full year.
The Nets, despite all these concerns, will undoubtedly work to bring back Irving because the alternatives for a capped-out roster aren’t nearly as appealing as a transcendent talent, albeit an unreliable one, at point guard. Also, Durant’s sway over the organization is powerful.
“I signed up for this for the long run,” Irving said. “So I love this year. I’m grateful. It hasn’t been a prototypical year. But when I look at my teammates and where we are as an organization, I’m looking for the long run and what we can do for legacy talk. We can talk again — judge my performance, judge everybody else’s performance, judge the league. But for me, and I know our team sentiment here and have something sustainable. Not just put this together real quick and see what happens.”
This wasn’t the original plan. The Big-3 was supposed to include James Harden, and GM Sean Marks said just last August he’d have contract extensions for Harden, Irving and Durant “signed, sealed and delivered.” But then Irving’s refusal of the COVID-19 shot kept him from playing home games, prompting the Nets to reportedly pull away their extension offer. Then Harden turned disgruntled to the point of demanding a trade.
The turmoil left the Nets as the 8th-seed before Saturday’s game against the Heat, yet still among the betting favorites to win the championship. No team has ever won a championship below a sixth seed. Only two have won below a third seed.
“Let me just call a spade a spade, we’re in the eighth spot, and we’re still expected to be contenders,” Irving said. “And if that’s not a true testament to the level of this talent on this team, I don’t know what is. I appreciate the respect. But honestly it takes a little bit longer to build that continuity. And we’re using these games and practice time.”
If Irving sticks to his statements Saturday, he’ll have plenty of time over the next few years.
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