Kyrie Irving's NBA future unclear after contract negotiations

Kyrie Irving may be on the move again. Following a tumultuous third year in Brooklyn, where Irving sat out a majority of the season due to vaccine refusal, and then finally did play. However, the team flamed out in a 4-0 sweep to eventual Eastern Conference champions Boston in Round One. Just a failure of a season all the way around for the Nets given the expectations with Irving and Kevin Durant on the roster.

A breakup between the superstars seems to be on the horizon. According to Shams Charania of the Athletic, Irving and the Nets are at an “impasse” on contract negotiations. Here’s what Shams tweeted Monday morning regarding the situation:

Sources: Kyrie Irving, Nets are at impasse in conversations about his future in Brooklyn, clearing way for the seven-time All-Star to consider the open market. Lakers and Knicks expected to emerge among potential suitors.

Inside Pass at @TheAthletic: https://t.co/VbOOtrzdTB

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) June 20, 2022

The plot thickens.

Irving’s time in the Big Apple may not be done for good with the Knicks listed as a potential landing spot. Also, the Los Angeles Lakers are named as a potential destination, which would mean a reunion with LeBron James. Because their last partnership famously ended so well.

Surely this is only the beginning of an other summer of Kyrie Irving drama. As if we haven’t had enough.

Irving’s time in Brooklyn a disappointment

If this is really it for Kyrie Irving in Brooklyn, well, it certainly wasn’t a success. One playoff series victory over his three-year span with the Nets, with a sweep at the hands of his former team coming this spring. Hard to believe the Nets employed Irving, Kevin Durant and James Harden and may lose all three with nothing to show for it but Ben Simmons.

Out of 226 total regular season games played by Brooklyn since Kyrie Irving joined the team, he only played in 103. For reference, Warriors forward Kevon Looney played in 104 total games just this season. Irving had three whole seasons and still played less than Looney did in one of them. Yikes.

His basketball journey post-Cleveland is a shame, a massive letdown of talent. Because he is one of the most especially gifted guards to ever lace up a pair of shoes. His handle and control of himself with the ball in his hands is unmatched by any player current or past, he’s made a high volume of threes consistently at a 40% or higher clip since leaving Cleveland, and he scores with the best of them when he actually plays. Throw everything else out the window: when Kyrie Irving plays basketball, he is absolutely one of the best in the world at it. Shoot, he hit one of the biggest shots in NBA history in 2016.

Really, he’s like Jenny from Forrest Gump. Jenny rejects Forrest, leaving him for increasingly worse people and worse situations, only to have life kick her in the kneecap enough times that she finally crawls back to Forrest. Because Forrest was the best thing that ever happened to her. Kyrie may be headed back to his Greenville, Alabama — to be LeBron’s sidekick once again.