“If you opt out, we’re not offering you a long-term max contract” - Chris Broussard believes the Brooklyn Nets have the leverage of not giving Kyrie Irving a long-term deal

The Brooklyn Nets and Kyrie Irving will have some big decisions to make for next season. Irving will be playing the last year of a four-year contract he signed in 2019 and said on Monday that he intends to stay in Brooklyn.

Chris Broussard, on "The Odd Couple," sees the Nets as having the upper hand when both camps start negotiating for a new contract:

“If I were the Nets, I would sit down with Kyrie and say, ‘Look, we’d like you to opt in. If you opt out, we’re not offering you a long-term max contract. We may offer you what you’re scheduled this year. Opt in, let’s see how it goes next year, and we’ll go from there. They’d have some leverage, because he doesn't wanna go anywhere.”

This season, Irving is set to earn $36 million and could opt in for another four-year deal that could be worth $189 million. Irving, though, could opt out and seek a five-year max contract that’ll bring the total to $245.6 million.

Should Irving test free agency and end up going back on his word not to leave Kevin Durant, he could sign for another team for $182.1 million.

Here’s Broussard on why the Nets won’t offer him the max deal Irving would likely look for:

“And I think they have some leverage because of Kyrie’s quirkiness and, you know, taking off here and there. A lot of teams feel this way and wouldn't give him the long-term deal. … He wants to be in Brooklyn, and he’s a handful to handle.

"Can you imagine if he’s somewhere he don’t wanna be? That’s why I think they have some leverage, 'cause I don’t know of any team who's gonna throw a max offer at him.”

After all the posturing and back-and-forth, Broussard sees only one way the negotiation will end:

“I think he would end up going back to the Nets on some type of maybe like a one-year deal or a two-year deal with a team option or something like that, player option or something.”

Earlier in the season, the Nets reportedly removed any contract extension offer for the seven-time All-Star due to his ineligibility to play in home games. Even with New York City easing up on COVID-19 rules allowing Irving to play, Brooklyn will likely not go the max contract route due to Irving’s unreliability.

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Kyrie Irving could also just spurn the Brooklyn Nets

Kyrie Irving is likely going to opt out and ask for a five-year deal worth $245 million. [Photo: Nothin' But Nets]

No one’s predicting what Kyrie Irving will eventually do. Part of his unreliability is his history of going back on his word. Before ultimately leaving the Boston Celtics to form a super team with Durant, he repeatedly informed the media that he’d return as a Celtic if Boston wants him.

After the Brooklyn Nets were swept by the Boston Celtics on Monday, Irving was inevitably asked about his contract extension. Here’s what the former Duke player had to say:

"When I say I'm here with Kev, I think that really entails us managing this franchise together alongside (owner) Joe (Tsai) and (general manager) Sean (Marks).”

It’ll be breaking news if he doesn’t sign with the Nets, but it won't be completely shocking if they go their separate ways.

Money may not even be an issue if Irving feels disrespected should the Nets do what Chris Broussard is saying. At some point, other teams will still sign him if he’s available, but the money could be not what he’s expecting.

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