Kyrie Irving is staying in Brooklyn. At least for now.
The …
Kyrie Irving is staying in Brooklyn. At least for now. The Nets star is picking up his $36.5 million player option for the upcoming season, after a tense — and at times acrimonious — negotiation that had many across the league expecting his exit. It even sparked speculation that Irving’s good friend Kevin Durant would follow him out the Barclays Center door. But now the Nets will keep their contender together, and put the Irving drama behind them — at least for one more year. The news was first reported by The Athletic, and confirmed by The Post.
“Normal people keep the world going, but those who dare to be different lead us into tomorrow,” Irving told The Athletic. “I’ve made my decision to opt in. See you in the fall. A11even.”
Irving — who has missed 130 games since arriving in 2019, including the play-in and playoffs — had wanted a full five-year, $245 million max contract from Brooklyn. Nets owner Joe Tsai and general manager Sean Marks had been apprehensive about giving Irving that long a deal due to his lack of availability. The Nets are believed to have made an offer that was firmly in that gray area to meet in the middle, but Irving had been disinclined to take less than the max.
