Kyrie Irving Exercising Option, Will Stay With Nets

The Kyrie Irving rumors have been rampant lately, but he is bringing all of that to end.

As relayed by Shams Charania of The Athletic, Irving will exercise his $36.5 million option with the Nets and “honor his four-year commitment” to keep playing alongside Kevin Durant with Brooklyn.

Irving himself was actually helped break the news.

“Normal people keep the world going, but those who dare to be different lead us into tomorrow,” he said, via Charania. “I’ve made my decision to opt in. See you in the fall. A11even.”

Irving and the Nets reportedly have been at a stalemate in extension talks, but by opting in, Irving and the Nets are highly likely to stay together at least one more season.

Irving, 30, supposedly had given the Nets a list of preferred destinations in the event the sides could not reach agreement on a contract.

But the teams on that reported list — the Lakers, Knicks, Mavericks, 76ers and Heat — either could not find a path for a sign-and-trade or simply were not interested in one.

With the Irving chatter came talk that Durant was beginning to lose faith in the front office. All of that was squelched with Irving’s decision to return.

As we’ve relayed, the Nets have remained confident that Irving, Durant and Ben Simmons would return and be with the Nets in training camp the fall.

Now, with Irving and Durant returning, the Nets are banking on Simmons being able to help push the team to another level. The Durant-Irving pairing, once teamed with James Harden, has yet to get past the second round of the playoffs. 

Irving, 30, averaged 27.4 points, 5.8 assists and 4.4 rebounds in 29 games this past season. He missed multiple games because of the New York City vaccine mandate, which was eventually lifted in time for the postseason.

Still, Irving and the Nets were swept from the first round of the Eastern Conference playoffs by the Celtics.