After the Brooklyn Nets' 2022 playoffs failure, all the attention has now turned to Kyrie Irving and his future with the team. While the veteran guard has already expressed his desire to stay, the franchise might not be too inclined to keep him after the chaotic season he had with the team.

Irving has been largely blamed for the Nets' messy campaign. His COVID-19 vaccine stance kept him out for a huge chunk of the season, making it difficult for Brooklyn to build any consistency. His absence that led to the team's struggles might have even affected James Harden's decision to ask for a trade.

In the end, the lack of chemistry between him and the team, as well as his long absence have come back to bite him and the Nets in the postseason when they were swept by the Boston Celtics in the first round.

General manager Sean Marks cast a doubt about Irving's  future with the Nets when he said that they need someone who is selfless and wants to be with the team and part of “something bigger”–which was a clear shot at Irving. He added fuel to the fire with his recent interview with YES Network where he dropped more cryptic comments about the future of the star guard.

“I look forward to [it], Marks said on their upcoming contract talks with Irving, via New York Post. “We have not had a conversation yet. So I look forward to getting in a room with him and Joe and his team, and we will. We’ll see what it looks like for Kyrie moving forward here, and what he needs from us and so forth.

“So, again, it wouldn’t be right for me to comment on what hypothetical could happen, because we don’t know. We haven’t had those conversations with Kyrie yet. But when they do, we’ll see if it’s the right fit for both sides.”

While Sean Marks did leave the door open for a possible Kyrie Irving return, it is quite noticeable how he's not saying he wants him back. It is also interesting to note that he said they are going to see “if it's the right fit for both sides,” indicating that they are still pondering what to do with him.

Irving has a player option for 2022-23, but the Nets can offer him an extension this summer and keep him long term. By the looks of it, though, that won't be happening unless they get a commitment from Kyrie that what happened in 2021-22 won't be repeated.