Back in 2018, Kyrie Irving told Celtics fans sitting inside of the TD Garden that he planned on re-signing with Boston and had a dream of seeing his "No. 11 [jersey] in the rafters one day." After a tumultuous 2018-19 season, he left the Celtics and signed with the Nets in free agency.
Now, with Irving in position to once again enter unrestricted free agency if he declines his player option, could he follow the same script?
On Monday morning, The Athletic's Shams Charania reported that Irving and the Nets are at an "impasse" that could "clear the way for [Irving] to consider the open marketplace." Charania's bombshell dropped just three days before the 2022 NBA Draft and nine days before the deadline on that $36.5 million player option, setting the stage for a wild offseason in Brooklyn.
Here is what we know about Irving's situation, including potential landing spots if he can't reach an agreement with the Nets.
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What has Kyrie Irving said about free agency?
After the Celtics swept the Nets out of the 2022 NBA Playoffs, Irving addressed the speculation about his future with the team.
"In terms of my extension, I don't really plan on going anywhere," Irving said. "Like I said, this is added motivation for our franchise to be at the top of the league for the next few years. I'm just looking forward to the summer and just building with our guys here."
Irving didn't issue a statement on Charania's report, only sending out a cryptic tweet on Monday featuring a GIF of Michael Potts' Brother Mouzone character from "The Wire."
— A11Even (@KyrieIrving) June 20, 2022
Breaking down Kyrie Irving's next contract
Irving is eligible to sign a five-year max contract with the Nets. Here are the possible terms of a five-year deal, per Tommy Beer:
- 2022-23: $42.7 million
- 2023-24: $46.1 million
- 2024-25: $49.8 million
- 2025-26: $53.8 million
- 2026-27: $58.1 million
That max offer most likely won't be on the table, though. The New York Daily News' Kristian Winfield reported last month that Brooklyn is "outright unwilling" to give Irving a long-term extension. Winfield noted that Irving's injury history and decision not to get vaccinated during the 2021-22 season left the Nets "hesitant."
Ranking the most realistic Kyrie Irving trade destinations
The Lakers, Knicks and Clippers are expected to be among the suitors for Irving if he leaves the Nets, per Charania. More teams could jump into the Irving sweepstakes if he does become available, but let's start with those three teams.
1. Knicks
The Knicks have an easier path to creating a slot for Irving than the Clippers and Lakers, though there would still be hurdles to clear.
New York could move enough money off its books to offer Irving a max contract if it wanted to sign him outright, but getting rid of contracts attached to players who aren't highly regarded around the league such as Evan Fournier, Julius Randle and Kemba Walker wouldn't be easy. The Knicks could also discuss sign-and-trade scenarios with the Nets or a third team.
2. Clippers
Because of their financial limitations, the Clippers would most likely need Irving to opt in and help facilitate a trade. As Charania pointed out, the Clippers would need to send out between $29.3 million and $45.8 million to the Nets and/or a third team if Irving is the only salary they bring back in a deal.
The Clippers have more options than the Lakers because there are multiple players on their roster who earn middle-tier salaries. Reggie Jackson ($11.2 million), Luke Kennard ($13.7 million), Marcus Morris ($16.4 million) and Norman Powell ($16.8 million) each fall into that category.
3. Lakers
While a reunion with LeBron James would certainly be an intriguing Irving storyline, it's difficult to envision how the Lakers could acquire Irving.
Similar to the Clippers, the Lakers would likely need to follow the opt-in-and-trade plan. Unlike the Clippers, the Lakers currently have no one in that middle tier except Talen Horton-Tucker ($10.3 million), so working with the Nets and/or a third team would be a huge challenge.
Would the Nets take back Russell Westbrook in an Irving deal? Probably not. The Lakers reportedly have "no intention" of using a future first-round pick to entice a team to take on Westbrook's contract, so why would the Nets ship out Irving without receiving any positive assets in return?
But that's just where things stand at the moment. Whenever Irving is involved, the situation can change rather quickly.
