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The Kyrie Irving situation continues to become more and more damaging for the star point guard.
According to Shams Charania’s comments on “The Glue Guys” podcast, the Brooklyn Nets are not going to offer Irving a contract extension they planned to prior to the events of this offseason. Irving’s decision to remain unvaccinated is going to cost him a significant chunk of his salary this season if he sits out, potentially his entire check. He does have a player option for next season and if he opts in, the Nets are going to have to go through the same gymnastics again.
The Nets planned to give Kevin Durant, James Harden and Irving extensions when their contracts were up. Durant has already gotten his extension but Harden hasn’t inked a deal yet, although talks with the teams are reportedly ongoing. Irving no longer has that choice because the Nets have reportedly taken the $186 million extension off the table, according to Charania.
The Nets are the favorites to win the 2021-22 NBA title according to DraftKings Sportsbook. If Irving sits out the whole season, those odds are sure to drop substantially. As of now, there’s no indication the guard will comply with New York City’s vaccination mandate.