“He’s forced a team that was favorite going into the past season to win it all, he’s forced that team into a classic ‘damned if you do, damned if you don’t’” - Skip Bayless says Kyrie Irving is bad for NBA business
Kyrie Irving is arguably the most controversial active NBA player. The point guard has incredible skills, but his personality and behavior are why he's not considered the league's best guard.
Irving appeared in only 29 games last season because of his vaccination status. He also played in just 74 of 144 games in his first two seasons in Brooklyn. In the end, his Brooklyn Nets had to advance to the playoffs through the play-in system but were swept in the first round.
Irving has a player option and could stay in Brooklyn for at least one more year. However, the Nets may not want him anymore.
Analyst Skip Bayless thinks the Irving situation is bad for the league, saying:
"Kyrie is now becoming bad for NBA business, because he's forced a team that was (a) favorite, going into this past season, to win it all. He's forced that team into a classic 'damned if you do, damned if you don't.'"
Kyrie Irving situation is "scary"
Despite being an amazing player, Kyrie Irving has been unreliable. He averaged a career-high 27.4 points per game and converted 41.8% of his 3-point shots last season but also missed more than 50 games.
Irving would like to get a maximum contract extension from the Brooklyn Nets. However, the team had a very disappointing season due to his issues and Kevin Durant's knee injury. Brooklyn wants to safeguard itself and not be weighed down by a massive, lengthy contract.
Skip Bayless said Brooklyn cannot just let Irving walk away without getting anything in return. That's why they'd want to keep him and/or try to trade him.
.@RealSkipBayless on Kyrie Irving's future with the Nets:
"Kyrie is now becoming bad for NBA business. He's forced a team that was the favorite to win, into a classic damned if you do, damned if you don't." https://t.co/C5G7y4U1w0
However, giving Irving a huge contract is not a great idea, either. He is eligible to get up to $250 million, which is a lot of money for a player who has missed so many games.
Bayless said the situation is not even fun to talk about anymore:
"This Kyrie situation is a scary, sorry situation for this league. It's not fun for me to talk about. It's gone past the point of intrigue to the point of disgust."
The NBA is in a bad place
Bayless also talked about other teams and players who are bad for business. He mentioned Russell Westbrook, who will be paid $47 million next season, despite being a bad fit for the LA Lakers.
The analyst also brought up John Wall, who recently exercised his player option with the Houston Rockets. Wall collected $44.3 million while never playing this season and is set to be paid $47.3 million next season. Still, no one knows when he will be back.
Ben Simmons and Kyrie Irving! https://t.co/oFf4V1RvY8
In addition to the Irving, Westbrook and Wall situations, Ben Simmons forced a February trade by refusing to play for the Philadelphia 76ers. Back issues then kept him from playing for the Brooklyn Nets.
The next collective bargaining negotiations could cause another lockout. The situation is not perfect for team owners, who likely will want the league to change contract rules in the future. To them, players have too much power.