“I look at Kyrie Irving sort of like I look at cryptocurrency” - Colin Cowherd questions if Irving is a good investment, says he provides what Nets already have
Kyrie Irving was one of the biggest topics of conversation this past season, and continues to appear in headlines as we approach the offseason. Currently, the All-Star guard and Brooklyn Nets are at an impasse in contract discussions that could lead to Irving testing his luck in the open market. If he opts out of his $36.5 million player option for next season, he will become an unrestricted free agent.
One roadblock in discussions is the fact that Kyrie Irving was a part-time player this year due to his unwillingness to get vaccinated. He only appeared in 29 games for the Nets in the regular season, and posted averages of 27.4 PPG, 4.4 RPG, and 5.8 APG.
Recently, FS1's Colin Cowherd gave his take on the ongoing disucssions between Kyrie Irving and the Nets. While he doesn't deny Irving is a spectacular talent, he feels the star guard is too unreliable to heavily invest in.
"I look at Kyrie Irving sort of like I look at cryptocurrency. There is no real data to indicate it's a great investment. Lot of speculation, highly turbulant, rarely reliable, and what does it really get me?"
"I look at Kyrie like I look at crypto currency. There's no real data to indicate it's a great investment, a lot of speculation and it's highly turbulent. And what does it really get me?"
— @ColinCowherd https://t.co/MkN4Rw3p6b
Should the Brooklyn Nets offer Kyrie Irving a large extension?
Given that he is still a star-level player and only 30-years-old, Kyrie Irving is going to demand a sizeable contract. That being said, should the Brooklyn Nets be the team to give it to him.
After how things unfolded this year, the Nets should be in no rush to offer Irving a max contract. Given how little he was on the court, it's tough to build a case as to why he is deserving of such a payday. Also, Brooklyn has leverage. Few contending teams have the cap space to sign Irving to a big deal, hurting his chances of testing free agency.
Arguably the most pivotal factor in all this is Kevin Durant. He and Irving came to the Nets together because of their connection off the court. Depending on how things unfold, there is a worst-case scenario where Iriving walks and Durant requests a trade soon after.
Kyrie Irving has the best handles in NBA history https://t.co/sWbCNGTtct
It might not feel great in the moment, but the Nets should do their best to retain Irving. When healthy, he and KD are still a top-tier duo in the NBA. Pair that with a defensive stallworth in Ben Simmons, and Brooklyn may have the right pieces to achieve their goal of competing for an NBA title.