
‘This is getting acrimonious’: Kyrie contract talks take disastrous turn as crucial deadline nears
ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski labelled Kyrie Irving’s contract negotiations with the Brooklyn Nets “acrimonious” as the June 29 deadline looms for the superstar to take up his $AUD53 million player option.
Irving and the Nets were at an “impasse” as recently as Friday (AEST), as the franchise looks to protect itself in a short-term deal while Irving wants the security of a lengthier contract.
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If the 30-year-old declines his player option, it would allow him to become a free agent in the off-season.
Should the Nets allow Irving to walk, it could also unsettle superstar Kevin Durant.
Wojnarowski pondered whether the Nets can ultimately find a solution that keeps everyone happy.
“Listen, people try to gain leverage,” Wojnarowski said on ESPN’s NBA Today.
“If you’re Kyrie Irving, you’re trying to go get the Nets to give you a longer-term deal with more guaranteed money than they want to give.
“The Nets are trying to go in the other direction - shorter deal, incentivised, because he just hasn’t been on the floor as much as they’d like the couple years.
“This is getting acrimonious, and I think that’s the concern when you look at not just Kyrie Irving’s future in Brooklyn, but Kevin Durant’s future and whether they can hold this thing together right now.”
There’s also the issue for Irving in terms of where he would move next should he become a free agent.
He’s reportedly named the Lakers, Clippers, Knicks, Heat, Mavericks and the 76ers as teams he’d want the Nets to consider in a potential sign-and-trade deal if he can’t come to an agreement with Brooklyn.
However, Wojnarowski pointed out that the feelings from Irving aren’t exactly being reciprocated by those teams.
“The interest isn’t mutual in several of these places,” Wojnarowski said.
“Obviously the Lakers are the ones that loom. And will Kyrie Irving walk away from a $53 million player option that he can opt in to and have that money guaranteed, especially after a year where he lost about $17 million by not being vaccinated last year and untold more with a sneaker deal that isn’t going to be there anymore, certainly at the level it was.”
‘Went to s***’: NBA insider reveals KD’s ‘biggest beef’ with Nets amid Kyrie contract drama
‘Went to s***’: NBA insider reveals KD’s ‘biggest beef’ with Nets amid Kyrie contract drama
