Kyrie Irving and the Brooklyn Nets are reportedly at an impasse when it comes to his future with the franchise. This has opened up the possibility of Irving going elsewhere. However, Brian Lewis of the New York Post says the most likely outcome is still that Irving is back with the Nets for 2022-23.

Shams Charania dropped the bombshell over at The Athletic earlier this week that Irving and the Nets are at a stalemate in talks, with the Los Angeles Lakers, New York Knicks and Los Angeles Clippers as potential suitors if he leaves Brooklyn. Bleacher Report's Jake Fischer followed up with his own reporting on where the issue lies, with Irving wanting a long-term extension and Brooklyn wanting something on the shorter side.

https://open.spotify.com/episode/4bZVYxusLFA542EmWlcgOm?si=b0c042c50ef648f3

Lewis echoed Fischer's reporting on the disagreement over the length of the contract, with that being a bigger issue than the money involved. Even so, Lewis characterizes these negotiations as a way to find a “happy medium” between the two sides rather than a breakup:

Despite the Nets and Kyrie Irving hitting an impasse in their talks, both sides are still working to find a happy medium in Brooklyn rather than an exit strategy out of it. Or as a source told The Post “what’s good for both [sides].”

Lewis also likens this whole affair to a poker game:

While any trade of Irving would probably be a complex three- or four-team deal and be more likely to occur before Thursday’s draft than after it, it’s still not likely.

Irving is obviously a talented player who's buddies with Kevin Durant, so the Nets would like him back. But they just want to protect themselves given his unreliability over the course of his career, and especially during his tenure in Brooklyn.

We'll see who blinks first.