As they face a wave of COVID-19 cases and injuries throughout the locker room, the Brooklyn Nets are turning to an old friend. The Nets are bringing back Kyrie Irving in an arrangement that will allow him to play only in away games, as Irving still is not eligible to play or practice in New York City.

Nets general manager Sean Marks released a statement on Irving's reinstatement to the team. Marks said that the decision to bring Irving back was made with the full support of the players.

The Nets, behind an MVP-caliber season from Kevin Durant, are an Eastern Conference-best 21-8. But they are dealing with several injuries and absences to key players. Brooklyn added veteran guard Langston Galloway on a 10-day contract before deciding to bring Irving back.

Irving is expected to ease into rejoining the team, per ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski. He may need time reacclimating to the pace of NBA games again but he should be able to provide scoring and playmaking that Brooklyn could use.

The Nets caving to Irving and allowing him to play again seems to be a move made out of necessity. It will be interesting to see if they refuse to let Irving be a road-game-only player again if the roster regians its health. For the time being, though, they're planning to bring their star trio together again.

Brooklyn will look to win their fifth straight game on Saturday against the Orlando Magic.