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NBA Front Office Insider Bobby Marks believes that the Brooklyn Nets and Kyrie Irving mutually need to find a way to work things out together.
The 48-year-old stated that both parties would need each other if they had to function well next season. Having been in and around the league for over two decades, Mark's analysis did make a lot of sense.
If the Nets were to let go of Kyrie Irving, they would certainly not be able to find a talent as good as him. As far as the 30-year-old is concerned, not many big teams would want to onboard him due to his lack of availability. Speaking about Kyrie Irving's impasse situation with the Nets, Marks said on ESPN's "Sportscenter" that:
"They both need each other, that's the ramifications when you look at Kyrie with his 36 million dollar player option, who is out there to go out and sign him, is it going to be Portland, Orlando, Indiana, San Antonio. Those aren't very attractive situations, so there is not much leverage from Irving's situation."
He also added:
"On the other end, what's in for Brooklyn, you let him go. Let's say he goes to the Lakers for a mid-level exception, let's say he wants to take a 26 million dollar discount, who's gonna replace him?
"Now you have Kevin Durant and Ben Simmons and your mid-level exception at 10.3 million dollar, so they need each other to get the deal done either in the offseason if Irving opts out, or if he opts into his contract."
Kyrie Irving has until June 29 to opt into his player option. However, reports coming out haven't really been positive about him staying with the Brooklyn Nets. The 30-year-old is one of the best point guards in the league and any team that signs him has a guaranteed game-winner.
Understandably, the Nets would have their reservations about giving Kyrie Irving a big contract. However, they also need to understand the value he adds to their roster.
The team from Brooklyn had a disappointing playoff campaign this season. But with the likes of Ben Simmons and Joe Harris returning next season, the Nets could contend for the title if they also find a way to keep Irving.
Is Kyrie Irving the right fit with the Brooklyn Nets?
Kyrie Irving is not a very dependable player with the Brooklyn Nets. He has taken time off with injuries, personal problems and last season due to the vaccine mandate. Despite all of that, there is no denying that he has put in some great performances every time he takes the court for them.
Over the course of his stint with the Nets, Irving has averaged 27.1 PPG and 6.0 APG while shooting 49% from the field. He has delivered four 50-point performances and also made it to the All-Star and All-NBA teams once. Irving has a great bond with Kevin Durant. The two are arguably the best duo in the NBA.
Last season, they failed to make any impact as the time they played together was very limited. However, coming into next season, a lot better performances could be expected out of them. Kyrie Irving has already expressed his desire to continue playing for the Nets. But it all comes down to how the talks between him and the front office go.
He is certainly a special player and if the Nets were to keep him, they could run things back next season. The side have a lot of vital players returning, which will in turn make them a force to be reckoned with in the next campaign.
