Stephen A. Smith calls Kyrie Irving a ‘show-stopper' for Brooklyn Nets: “This brother as a talent is worth 50 million"

Kyrie Irving and the Brooklyn Nets have been on an absolute tear recently. In the month of December, the Nets lost just one game. With an 11-game win streak in December, they continued their streak this month by kicking off the year with a win over the San Antonio Spurs.

Throughout their impressive run, Kyrie Irving has continued to cement his place as one of the best scorers in the league. He played in eleven games last month, scoring over thirty in five of them as he repeatedly flirted with double-doubles. It marked quite a change from Irving's struggles, both on and off the court, early in the season.

As he prepares to become a free agent this offseason, many have questioned what the future could hold for Irving. As rumors of a reunion with the LA Lakers and LeBron James continue to loom overhead, Irving's play has continued to overshadow his off-court controversy.

While his stock was at an all-time low during his suspension earlier this season, Stephen A. Smith thinks his recent play could garner a $50 million-a-year price tag.

"Right now, Kyrie Irving is a showstopper. We all knew this but he's a different kind of showstopper. He's the kind of show-stopper that you can actually trust to show up to work. We don't have to wait in the tunnel to wonder if he's going to be on the team bus now, he's showing up."

"Are we foolish enough to believe that his aspirations for a contract extension whether it's with Brooklyn or the Lakers or somebody else doesn't play a role? Of course not, there's money to be made. And this brother right here as a talent it worth $50 million a year."

Above, you can see Stephen A. Smith on ESPN's First Take discussing the situation. His comments can be seen shortly after the three-minute mark of the video.

Possible destinations for Kyrie Irving

As Stephen A. Smith pointed out, Kyrie Irving is looking to sign a contract extension this upcoming offseason. With plenty of speculation as to whether Irving will be shipped to the Lakers leading up to this season, speculation that he could be headed to LA has resurfaced.

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With the Lakers getting Russell Westbrook's contract off the books at the end of the season, the team will have quite a bit of money to work with in free agency. At the same time, however, if Irving is able to put his past controversies behind him, the Brooklyn Nets could very well be eager to re-sign him.

Currently, things are clicking for the Nets, to say the least. Kevin Durant is playing like the generational scoring talent that he is, and Ben Simmons has found his rhythm once more. With everything coming together for the Nets, the team has hopes that, come playoff time, they'll be able to unseat the reigning Eastern Conference Champions.

As they look to continue their 11-game winning streak, it seems Kyrie Irving's upcoming free agency decision is already making headlines.

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