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Brooklyn Nets superstar point guard Kyrie Irving hasn’t played since Nov. 14 due to a right shoulder impingement. Unfortunately for Irving, he is not only missing games, but also some money with his continued absence.
According to Bobby Marks of ESPN, Irving will miss out on two bonuses of $125,000 for falling short of playing 60 games this season for the Nets.
Kyrie Irving will now miss out on two bonuses of $125K each for falling short of playing 60 games this season. The games played bonus were tied into statistical achievements. This will bring the total up to $375K in lost incentives for the season.
— Bobby Marks (@BobbyMarks42) January 3, 2020
Irving has appeared in just 11 games this season for the Nets, averaging 28.5 points, 5.4 rebounds and 7.2 assists while shooting 44.4 percent from the field, 34.1 percent from beyond the arc and 93.7 percent from the free-throw line.
Kyrie signed a four-year, $136.5 million deal with the Nets in free agency this past summer. He and Kevin Durant took less than the max so the franchise could sign DeAndre Jordan as well.
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Irving and Durant converted a chunk of their salaries into performance-based bonuses to create room for Jordan, but Irving is going to miss out on his share due to his shoulder injury.
ESPN injury analyst Stephania Bell explained in detail exactly what Irving is going through at the moment in terms of his shoulder injury, via Malika Andrews of ESPN:
“There is a very small space at the top of the shoulder where several structures intersect,” Bell said. “If there is inflammation or tissue damage to any of the structures in the area … the pinching, or impingement, that results when the arm goes through elevation can cause pain.
“For a basketball player who has this in his dominant arm, the most obvious limitation would occur anytime he elevates his arm to shoot the ball, but it can be equally problematic when trying to play defense or anytime there is even incidental direct contact.
“These things can be addressed simultaneously. The trick is to balance the strengthening and returning to activity with proper loading to not trigger a renewed inflammatory response. While this may sound easy, there is no simple formula.”
Nets fans can’t wait to get Irving back in the lineup, but it’s clear the team is going to be cautious with his injury.
Brooklyn is 16-17 on the season, seventh place in the Eastern Conference standings.
