“There has to be a big part of Kevin Durant thinking: ‘I wish he’d opted out’” - Skip Bayless reacts to Kyrie Irving taking a wild U-turn on his decision to leave Brooklyn
The Brooklyn Nets' superteam era may not be over just yet. Kyrie Irving announcing that he would opt into the final year of his contract, ultimately shutting down rumors about Kevin Durant.
Brooklyn Nets star Kyrie Irving is opting into his $37 million player option for the 2022-23 season, @TheAthletic @Stadium has learned. Irving is bypassing on multiple opt-in and trade scenarios to fulfill his four-year commitment to the Nets and Kevin Durant.
Fox Sports analyst Skip Bayless guessed Irving's decision to stay with Brooklyn could've been against Durant's wishes.
Here's what Bayless Tweeted regarding this:
"Just a guess: There has to be part of Kevin Durant - maybe a pretty big part - that's thinking, "I wish he'd opted out so I could be done with him.""
Just a guess: There has to be part of Kevin Durant - maybe a pretty big part - that's thinking, "I wish he'd opted out so I could be done with him."
Kevin Durant decided to leave Steph Curry and the Golden State Warriors to join forces with Kyrie Irving in Brooklyn in 2019. The duo were hoping to lead the Nets to a title win in the last two seasons, but a second-round appearance in the 2021 playoffs has been their best result.
Analyzing why Kevin Durant may have wanted Kyrie Irving to opt-out and leave the Brooklyn Nets
Kevin Durant has been phenomenal during his time with the Brooklyn Nets. He has been a reliable presence. But that isn't the case with Kyrie Irving. The dynamic guard has played only 103 out of 226 games in three seasons for Brooklyn.
The Nets' 2021-22 season was heavily affected by Irving's refusal to get vaccinated for Covid-19. The New York City mandates didn't allow Irving to play home games, and Brooklyn decided against letting him play on the road.
The Nets roster was depleted in December due to a Covid-19 outbreak in their lockeroom. They slipped in the Eastern Conference standings, dropping out of the top-six race, which forced the front office to lift Irving's suspension.
Kyrie could only play in away games as he remained unvaccinated. Meanwhile, Kevin Durant was injured during that stretch. The Brooklyn Nets couldn't improve their record, even with Irving and James Harden available.
The latter eventually got frustrated and didn't believe the Nets had a shot at winning the title, especially with Irving featuring as a part-timer. Harden demanded a trade to the Sixers, further diminishing Brooklyn's hopes of making a push to win the championship.
Kevin Durant, James Harden and Kyrie Irving only played 16 games together. They went 13-3. https://t.co/jIzNo6PAHO
The Brooklyn Nets made the playoffs. New York City officials lifted the mandate for unvaccinated athletes to play in the city, which allowed Kyrie Irving to feature in home games. The Nets entered as the seventh seed by winning the play-in tournament.
However, they were embarrassed by the Boston Celtics as Jayson Tatum and company completed a series sweep. Many believe Kyrie Irving's unavailability is the key reason for the Nets' setback. His absence took a toll on Kevin Durant, and it was also considered the pathway to James Harden asking for a move midseason.
CELTICS SWEEP NETS 🧹
Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown lead Boston in Game 4 to knock out the Nets in the first round https://t.co/IoB4bolGvG
There are plenty of reasons to blame Irving for the Nets' superteam era being a failure. Many believe that if Durant had a reliable co-star next to him, Brooklyn could've had a better run in the last two seasons.
Woj: "If [Kevin Durant] does end up on the trade market, there's probably never been a player quite his stature, certainly at the top of his game, who would be available to teams out there."
#NBATwitter twitter.com/_Talkin_NBA/st… https://t.co/HvgF6xTolN
The Nets' status as contenders remains questionable, especially considering Irving's strong desire to opt out before deciding to opt into his contract. His potential departure would've opened the doors for Durant to demand a trade to a rival contender. As things stand, however, the two will spearhead the Nets roster for another campaign.