All-Star guard Kyrie Irving decided not to seek the Brooklyn Nets exit anymore. Instead, Irving picked up his 2022-23 player option and intends to play for the Nets next season.
By opting in, Irving is set to earn $36.5 million in 2022-23. He will be an unrestricted free agent after that.
“Normal people keep the world going, but those who dare to be different lead us into tomorrow,” Irving told The Athletic about his decision. “I’ve made my decision to opt-in. See you in the fall. A11even.”
Kyrie Irving spent the past several days looking for a way to leave Brooklyn after he and the Nets reached an “impasse” in extension talks. The franchise proceeded to give Irving the green light to seek a sign-and-trade deal, but this proved to be a more complicated affair than expected. It turned out that only the Los Angeles Lakers were willing to take a swing for the 30-year-old, but the Nets were far from impressed with their offer.
Irving exercising his player option now nixes any sign-and-trade scenario. Brooklyn could still trade him at some point, but that looks unlikely at the time being. The most likely outcome is that the team runs it back with Irving and hopes for the best.
Irving had a turbulent 2021-22 campaign, having played only 29 games due to his decision not to get the COVID-19 vaccine. While he averaged 27.4 points when he was on the floor, his absence greatly affected the Nets and their chances to make a deep playoff run. Brooklyn ended up being eliminated in the first round by the Boston Celtics.
