"I wouldn't sleep very well at night if I was a front office, and I gave Kyrie Irving that kind of financial security" - NBA analyst firmly asserts Kyrie Irving not worth max extension
ESPN's Tim Legler believes no front office in the NBA should be willing to risk signing Kyrie Irving to a long-term deal, as he's not reliable.
As per recent reports by The Athletic's Shams Charania, there's an impasse between the Brooklyn Nets and Irving regarding his contract extension. That leaves a possibility that Irving could test the open marketplace, as the Nets aren't willing to offer him a longer deal.
Legler spoke on ESPN's "Get Up" about Irving's situation in Brooklyn and whether he deserves a max contract:
"Talent dictates that he'll get that kind of money but I tell you what, I wouldn't sleep very well at night if I was a front office, and I gave Kyrie Irving that kind of financial security. … This is a guy that has been unavailable for more games than he has been available, since he got to Brooklyn three years ago."
Irving has missed more games than he has played in during his Nets' tenure. In his three years in Brooklyn so far, he has missed 123 of 226 possible games.
In the 103 games he has played, the team's record is not mind-blowing either, with the Nets winning 58 of those games (56%). He has missed 41% of his team's games in the last five years.
It's no surprise that the Nets are hesitant to offer Irving a max long-term deal. Legler continued:
"I think at some point talent shouldn't be enough. ... We always say, 'But he's so talented.' Yeah, we know that. But is that enough? You gotta be reliable. You gotta be somebody you can count on, not just in the regular season. You gotta be somebody who can be there when we need you most and also show some leadership ability."
.@LegsESPN isn't convinced Kyrie Irving is worth a max extension 👀
"I wouldn't sleep very well at night if I was a front office and I gave Kyrie that kind of financial security." https://t.co/1b2Sc73wWU
According to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski, the biggest leverage Irving has over the Nets is that Kevin Durant would demand a trade if they don't retain him. The Nets need to find a way to resolve the matter or else they'll end up losing both their stars and will not be in championship contention at all.
Tim Legler questions Kyrie Irving's dedication and motivation towards basketball
Kyrie Irving has not shown a stern dedication to the sport of basketball. He has missed time due to random unforeseen issues, and fans haven't seen him as much as they would have liked him to. A Brooklyn native would be happy when Irving signed with the Nets, but he has unfortunately, played in just 45 home games in his three-year tenure so far.
It's not uncommon for people to wonder if Uncle Drew even takes basketball seriously. Legler continued on "Get Up", saying:
"Kyrie Irving himself has said, repeatedly, this isn't the end of the world to him. Basketball is not everything. Is that a guy that goes home and doesn't sleep after losses?"
He continued:
"And when you start talking about these kind of contracts, I think that should be something that comes with it. You want those highly driven guys that would kill themselves to win, and I don't know that Kyrie Irving falls into that category."
Many analysts have posed this question and wondered whether Irving considers basketball a priority. Based on the number of games he has missed, it doesn't seem like basketball is Irving's top priority. He has often missed games without informing his teammates or coaches and taken entire weeks off due to personal reasons.
.@Matt_Barnes22 wants to know how important basketball is to Kyrie Irving:
"I just want to know ... where does basketball rank on [Kyrie's] priority list? ... When basketball is priority he's one of the most special players we've ever seen." https://t.co/D0Ea2zGm4Q
Only time will tell where Irving ends up at this summer or if the Nets find a compromise and give him a deal that both parties are comfortable with.