Kyrie Irving didn't exactly put his best foot forward with the Brooklyn Nets in 2021-22.

Not only was he limited to just 29 regular season games as a result of his decision not to get vaccinated against COVID-19, leaving Kevin Durant to deal with the melodrama surrounding James Harden largely by himself. But even after local vaccine mandates were lifted, just in time for the playoffs, Irving looked a lot like a player who'd been sitting on the sidelines for months when it mattered most.

He averaged 21.3 points, 5.3 rebounds and 5.3 assists in Brooklyn's first-round sweep by the Boston Celtics, numbers that belie his barely-there impact. After his awesome performance in an instant-classic Game 1 loss, Irving seemed ill-prepared and frankly disinterested in helping the short-handed Nets climb from a hole against his former team.

No matter, though.

With a $36 million player option on the table for next season, Irving is also up for a massive contract extension this summer. Whether he plays out his current deal or the Nets gulp and offer him a new four-year, $189.7 million contract, Irving knows exactly where he expects to be playing next season.

He's even of the belief that owner Joe Tsai and general manager Sean Marks will afford his desires and opinions the same weight they do Durant's.

That Irving still holds himself in the same esteem as the two-time Finals MVP isn't shocking. Whether it's his infamous remarks about the earth being flat, his unexplained in-season vacation from the Nets in 2020-21 or his steadfast refusal to abide by public health guidelines, there's ample and growing evidence that Irving lives in a world all his own.

It's not exactly surprising he exists in it right alongside one of the greatest players of all time, as an influential decision-maker in Brooklyn. What really matters, though, is how the Nets feel about his place with the franchise, a dynamic that could be laid bare during a crucial offseason.