Picture Credit: NBA
Brooklyn Nets guard Kyrie Irving is set to opt for his $37 million player option for the 2022-23 season. Irving has decided to deny the multiple sign and trade scenarios to fulfil his four-year commitment to the Nets and Kevin Durant. The news was confirmed by NBA expert Shams Charania.
The New York-born also talked about how he is ready to take his player option. He said, “Normal people keep the world going, but those who dare to be different lead us into tomorrow," Kyrie Irving said. "I’ve made my decision to opt-in. See you in the fall."
In the last few days, several reports addressed that Kyrie Irving had asked for permission from the Nets to look for a sign-and-trade. The 2011 Rookie of the year had a deadline on Wednesday to pick up his player option for next season. More reports also talked about how the Los Angeles Lakers, New York Knicks and Los Angeles Clippers were the teams that could have been interested in bringing in Kyrie Irving.
Kyrie Irving Irving has played in 103 games in his 3 seasons with the team. Similarly, the Brooklyn Nets finished their 2021-22 season with a 44-38 record but were ultimately swept by the Boston Celtics in the first round of the NBA Playoffs. In his time in Brooklyn, Irving has averaged 24.1 points with 6.1 assists and 4.4 rebounds while shooting 48.9% from the field and 40.4% from the deep.
There's no way I could leave my man 7 anywhere: Irving
While speaking in an interview last season with Andrew Lopez, Irving had hinted at the possibility of continuing with the Nets and Kevin Durant for the next few years. He had said, "For me, it has always been about being comfortable and loving where I'm at. I love it here," Kyrie Irving said.
"Once that summertime hits, I know we'll have some conversations but there's no way I could leave my man 7 anywhere. For me, our team sentiment is we want to build a legacy here and have something sustainable," Irving added.