“You don’t seem to love to play basketball, so can we protect ourselves?” - NBA analyst says Kyrie Irving was offered a deal by the Nets with some clauses

This offseason, Brooklyn Nets All-Star Kyrie Irving has been one of the hottest names in basketball. After his initial contract negotiations did not go as planned, the All-Star guard appeared to be en route to a new team.

Reports emerged that Brooklyn sought out sign-and-trades for the star guard, but the only team to show any sort of interest was the LA Lakers. With few options left, Irving decided to opt into his player option for next season and remain a member of the Nets.

As a star player, Irving was seeking a max extension this offseason. Given he was a part-time player last season, the Nets front office remained unwilling to heavily invest in him. However, one insider revealed that may not have been the case.

During a recent episode of The Ryen Russillo podcast, The Ringer's Ryen Russillo reported that the Nets offered Irving a near-max deal, but wanted some form of protection on it.

"The other part that I've heard is the Nets were actually willing to give him multiple years close to the max but they wanted some structure in this thing that's like hey you don't seem to love to play basketball a lot lately so can we protect ourselves somewhat with a games played clause in there and he was like absolutely not."

Should Kyrie Irving have accepted this reported offer from the Brooklyn Nets?

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If this report is true, the Brooklyn Nets made the right move by offering Kyrie Irving a deal with some form of protection on it. Star players are hard to come by and demand a high price tag. That being said, a games played clause gives Brooklyn some cushion along with holding Irving accountable.

When he is on the court, there is no denying how special of a talent Kyrie Irving is. In the 29 games he appeared in last season, he averaged 27.4 points, 4.4 rebounds, and 5.8 assists. The only issue is that the seven-time All-Star hasn't exactly been a daily fixture in the lineup.

Kyrie Irving has played in fewer than 30 games in two of the last three seasons. Due to injuries and a refusal to get the COVID-19 vaccine, his ability to be on the floor regularly was hindered. This is not good for the Brooklyn Nets, as they brought him and Kevin Durant in to compete for championships.

Now on a one-year deal, this will be a "prove it" year for Kyrie Irving as he looks to secure a big pay day in the summer of 2023.