Kyrie Irving Receives Nothing From Brooklyn Nets; $186M+ Contract Extension No Longer on the Table for 'Uncle Drew'
The Kyrie Irving saga became more damaging for the star point guard after the Brooklyn Nets announced that they withdrew the initially offered contract extension to the unvaccinated star.
Brooklyn Nets Withdraws Kyrie Irving's Contract Extension
According to NBC Sports, Shams Charania of The Athletic shared on "The Glue Guys" podcast that the max extension, which was initially projected to be worth $186+ million over four years of the contract, would not be offered now to Kyrie Irving, especially regarding the vaccination protocol.
Although talks with the teams are reportedly ongoing, Charania said that Irving no longer has that choice because the Nets have reportedly taken the $186+ million contract extension off the table.
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Kyrie Irving Remains Unvaccinated
Based on the report of the DraftKings Nation, the decision of the 29-year-old basketball star of staying unvaccinated would cost him a significant chunk of his salary this season if he sits out, and potentially his entire check.
Irving does have a player option for next season, and if he opts in, the Nets will have to go through the same rollercoaster ride with "Uncle Drew" all over again.
Currently, Irving is already jeopardizing $381,181 in base salary per game that he missed due to the mandate.
Moreover, if he misses the full season of the NBA, Irving could lose $17,153,155 plus another $381,181 per postseason game.
Meanwhile, the union might fight the NBA's plan to dock his salary. There would be a chance that the Brooklyn Nets would pay him for road games, but not against the Knicks.
However, Irving has not publicly explained why he chose not to get vaccinated. Charania reported that Irving decided not to get the jab after taking a stand on behalf of people who have lost their jobs due to vaccine mandates.
Charania added that he knew that Kyrie wanted to retire with the Nets; that's why he went there. He added that for most of the offseason, he was optimistic that Kyrie, as well as James Harden, would sign an extension, but neither of that has happened.
Furthermore, the Nets planned to give Kevin Durant, James Harden, and Irving extensions when their contracts were up. Durant has already gotten his extension in the New York team, but Harden has not inked a deal yet. James Harden still has two years remaining on his contract and would be extension-eligible only until the regular season begins.
The Brooklyn Nets is considered the favorites to win the 2021-22 NBA title, according to DraftKings Sportsbook. If Irving would sit out the whole season, those odds were sure going to drop substantially. Based on the latest update, there is no indication the guard would comply with New York City's vaccination mandate.
This article is owned by Latin Post.
Written by: Jess Smith
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