Kyrie Irving has left us little reason to assume he is going to be available to play for the Brooklyn Nets anytime soon. He's said that he won't retire. He's said he won't lose the game he loves over vaccines or vaccine mandates. But he hasn't said anything about getting vaccinated, either.
It may be foolhardy to try to make a logical inference following Irving's Instagram Live appearance this week. But if one were to, they might conclude the Nets would be wise to trade Irving. As of today, that seems like the cleanest solution to allow Irving to continue playing while getting the Nets some on-court value in return. Trading Irving from such an obvious position of weakness isn't ideal for Brooklyn, but at least it's better than having a seven-time All-Star inactive yet on the financial books through the trade deadline and beyond.
All of this leaves us with the important question, how does Irving's absence impact Kevin Durant?
1) Kevin Durant is going to have to shoulder much more of the regular season burden now
ESPN and Sports Illustrated recently elected KD the world's best player. It's interesting when you remember he only appeared in 35 regular season games in 2020-21, be was just that good once the playoffs began.
Without Irving in the fold, Durant likely takes on much more of the pre-playoff scoring burden. It means Steve Nash won't have the luxury of being as conservative with his superstar's games and minutes as he was last year. Of course, both the organization and player may feel it's time to take off the training wheels. We know part of the reason they were so cautious with Durant last season was because it was his first year back following major surgery.
One would expect he'll be asked to pick back up closer to where he left off in Golden State. He played in 62, 68 and 78 games in the three seasons he was there. If Irving is on the team but not in the lineup, my hunch is KD logs at least 65 games. If Irving was suddenly vaccinated and available, they could afford to stay competitive while limiting Durant's game total again. But who knows if that will be the case anytime soon.
2) Durant's loyalty to Irving will be tested
We learned something pretty surprising on Thursday. Per ESPN's Ohm Youngmisuk, Durant admitted he hasn't communicated with Irving since the team—with his input, remember—decided not to allow Irving to play at all this season if he's not eligible to play in home games. Basically, there are no part-time players allowed in Brooklyn.
Kevin Durant says he has not spoken to Kyrie Irving since Tuesday's news of the Nets saying Irving will not play or practice with the team.
— Ohm Youngmisuk (@NotoriousOHM) October 15, 2021
There could be a rift between the two superstars who have been close friends for years. In fact, it was Irving who reportedly persuaded Durant to join him in Brooklyn a couple of summers ago when the duo wanted to be in New York.
If this stalemate continues, and Irving remains unvaccinated and without exemption, how loyal to Irving would Durant remain? Would he give Irving every chance to change his position and vax up? Would he give his friend the space he needs to make his voice heard on an issue Irving reportedly feels passionate about (e.g. people losing their jobs over vaccine mandates)? Would he eventually give management the nod to execute a trade that brings in some on-the-floor help?
We know Durant and James Harden, for that matter, are all about championships. We know that Irving has other things that are very important to him. The cleanest solution of all, as mentioned, is for the Nets to trade Irving, but one would think the organization would only do so if Durant offered his approval.
How long without Irving might KD be comfortable going? This figures to be a major distraction that we can assume will weigh on Durant until it's resolved. It may also test their friendship and lead to a blockbuster trade.
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