Kyrie Irving has decided to opt-in to his $36.5 million player option with the Brooklyn Nets for the 2022-23 season, but only after it has been made clear that there is no viable sign-and-trade option for him.
Without the ability to find a sign-and-trade deal, Kyrie Irving plans to exercise his $36M player option for next season and return to the Nets, sources confirm. https://t.co/ShNgQETZpy
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) June 27, 2022
Irving's contract situation with the Nets has been a major talking point in recent weeks after the two sides couldn't agree on a long-term deal. Brooklyn didn't want to give the playmaker a contract with more guaranteed money after his absence and the controversy he created last season, but Kyrie initially stayed firm on his desire.
The situation has led to reports that Irving is seeking a move away from the team, ideally through a sign-and-trade. Unfortunately for him, there's no other franchise who could take his contract without being hard-capped.
There were talks about Irving potentially opting out of his player option and taking a massive $30 million pay cut to join the Los Angeles Lakers instead, but in the end, it is too hard to pass on such a huge amount of money.
As Bobby Marks of ESPN shared earlier as well, opting out would have been a high-risk move for Irving because of the current financial landscape of the free agency market.
Of course Kyrie Irving opting-in doesn't mean the Nets can no longer trade him. In fact, with the decision, Brooklyn can now trade the guard to any of the 29 teams in the NBA without the hard cap restrictions.
The star playmaker can also work on a new contract with the Nets until June 30, 2023 before he enters unrestricted free agency, that is if he isn't traded by the team.
It remains to be seen what will happen to Irving and what he'll do next, though by the looks of it, he seems ready to play alongside Kevin Durant and prove he's worthy of a long-term deal.
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