Stephen A. Smith on why the Nets can’t risk giving Kyrie Irving a long-term extension
Despite a disappointing regular season and first-round sweep, Brooklyn Nets superstar Kyrie Irving foresees four years of “dominance” with the Brooklyn Nets – presumably only if the Nets offer him a max extension.
Yet as Irving enters a player option year, should the Brooklyn Nets make a long-term commitment to Irving?
Jalen Rose has argued that if Irving expresses that he’ll be available to Joe Tsai, then the Nets should give him a deal. If he then starts to miss time for reasons other than legitimate injury, Tsai and the Nets executives can then go to Durant to put pressure on Irving to play, or will then at least have a inarguable reason to trade Irving and break up the Durant-Irving partnership.
Stephen A. Smith, however, doesn’t believe that method is going to work. If the Nets give Irving a colossal amount of money and he continues to miss games, Smith argues, how will the Nets ever receive equal value in a trade?
“If they give [Kyrie] that money, Jalen, and then he shows an unwillingness to play, nobody else will take him. See, they’ll take him with the last year of his contract approaching, but if you commit to him for three or four years, nobody will take him.
It’s about this… you go to Kevin Durant and you say ‘we gave you these three years. Who are you more committed to, the Brooklyn Nets organization or your boy Kyrie? That’s the conversation you have with KD.”
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What's the status on Kyrie Irving's player option for 22-23?
