NBA
Why did Kyrie Irving refuse to negotiate a contract with the Brooklyn Nets?
In the wake of his trade request, we’re beginning to understand that Kyrie Irving was not at all happy, with the terms of the final year of his contract.
As details continue to emerge, we’re starting to a picture in which the star considered to be unpredictable by many, was simply standing his ground in what he believed to be an unreasonable situation where his contract was concerned.
Kyrie Irving didn’t even want a max contract
As you will surely know by now, the Brooklyn Nets’ star point guard, Kyrie Irving, issued a trade request to the team on Friday. What we didn’t know at the time of reporting, is that Irving’s ill will towards the franchise runs much deeper than thought. Specifically, it’s said to surround his problem with a clause in the contract extension he was offered, which stipulates that a championship should be won. While the exact terminology of said clause is unclear, reports suggest that it was tied to the idea that salary for the final year would not be guaranteed unless the Nets had won a championship by the time it arrived.
At any rate, what is now clear is that Irving did not take to that stipulation at all. Indeed, reports indicate that the 8-time NBA All-Star felt very insulted, such that he was not willing to sign a contract even if the Nets offered an unconditional max deal, which he was in fact eligible to sign with them.
What next for Kyrie Irving?
At this point, there has been no definitive take on where he’s likely to play next. Irving is set to become a free agent this summer and as we understand it was hoping for a deal from Brooklyn “in the neighborhood of” four years, $198.5 million. With that no longer on the table, it now means the former NBA Rookie of the Year has a few days left before the trade deadline to find a new team. In theory, that team would also acquire his Bird rights, meaning if they so desired, they could offer him the very same contract he was seeking. On the other hand, one has to imagine that as talented as Irving is, his off-court issues will likely give pause to any potential suitors. From his controversial stance on the covid-19 vaccine, to the recent scandal involving his endorsement of an antisemitic documentary, Irving is as divisive as he is skilled. At this point, we can only sit and wait for what comes next in the saga of the Nets star.