If in some franchises the Media Day is only a simple formality, on the side of Brooklyn we never get bored. Even more after the chaotic summer that characterized the Nets, between the rumors surrounding Kyrie Irving and the transfer request of Kevin Durant. Uncle Drew just returned to these rumors yesterday in front of New York journalists, and admitted that he was not far from leaving a few weeks ago…
The Nets Media Day yesterday was widely anticipated. Not only because we were waiting for an explanation from Kevin Durant regarding his transfer request this summer, but also because we wanted to hear what Kyrie Irving was going to be able to tell us. And for a good twenty minutes, Uncle Drew was inundated with questions both about the elimination in the first round of the Playoffs against his former team the Celtics, his absences linked to his refusal to be vaccinated, the big file KD , his contractual situation… in short, so many subjects that deserved clarification before really turning the page and focusing on the coming season.
“Yeah. There were options, but not many.”
Kyrie on how close he was to leaving the Nets this summer and why he is still in Brooklyn.
(via: @NBATV) pic.twitter.com/C47MGtZnDU
— Complex Sports (@ComplexSports) September 26, 2022
“Were you close to leaving the Nets this summer? » This is one of the big questions Kyrie Irving was asked yesterday during Media Day. The response of the principal concerned?
“Yes,” Kyrie replied, nodding her head. ” Yes. There were options. But not a lot because of the stigma, if I want to play or not, if I’m ready to commit to a team or not, which was sometimes quite unfair in my opinion. But the timing was ideal to put that on me because I was unavailable. »
Stating to the New York press that he “sacrificed over $100 million not to get vaccinated” in the 2021 offseason, Kyrie Irving did not get the long-term contract he was looking for this summer and finally decided to fall back on its player option at 36.5 million dollars. But before making this decision to stay in Brooklyn for the 2022-23 season, there had been quite a few rumors about a potential departure via a sign & trade or even a signing with the Lakers through the mid-level exception. Nevertheless, the leaders of the other NBA franchises did not really jostle at the gate to secure Kyrie’s services, and it is in particular for this reason that he is still found in Brooklyn today.
Nobody knows what the future of Kyrie Irving will be made of, he who will return to the Free Agency market in the summer of 2023 if he is not extended before by Brooklyn. On the other hand, it is clear that the upcoming campaign is crucial for Uncle Drew. He is in the last year of his contract, he must prove that his team can count on him by playing more than one out of two games, and must be one of the main reasons for the expected rebound of the Nets this year after the humiliation of the last Playoffs against the Celtics.
“It adds yet another motivation. But it’s not just because we got swept away, or because it was Boston, but it’s more the way things ended up falling apart at the end of last season. […] But now that everyone is healthy, I don’t want to have any doubts or regrets. Things won’t always be perfect, but if we manage them responsibly and communicate, it can really contribute to our success. »
Kyrie Irving says he’s learned from last season, the lessons have been learned, and he’s willing to let his actions speak for him. Can the Nets really count on him when he has missed more than 120 games since arriving in Brooklyn in 2019? General manager Sean Marks wants to believe it, we ask to see.
Source texte : Media Day Nets