Nets Preparing As If Kyrie Irving Won’t Be Vaccinated Or Play

The Nets are planning on being without star point guard Kyrie Irving for the season, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, as reports suggest Irving is likely to remain unvaccinated.

“The bottom line is, Kyrie Irving is not vaccinated,” Wojnarowski told co-worker Malika Andrews, via Net Income and Alec Sturm of Nets Daily. “At this point he doesn’t sound as though he is about to get vaccinated to be able to return and play for this Nets team. And the Nets are preparing for the fact that’s he’s not gonna be there.”

Wojnarowski added that trading Irving will be difficult, confirming there is very little chance he will be dealt to the 76ers in a deal involving fellow star Ben Simmons.

“When the Nets made [the Harden] trade, they saw James Harden as a necessity. I think that they could already see that they may not be able to count on Kyrie Irving,” Wojnarowski said on his podcast, via Sturm. “I think the day James Harden arrived in Brooklyn, Kyrie Irving was expendable — if he chose to be expendable.”

As for the potential of an Irving trade, Wojnarowski added that everything is very much up in the air, given the uniqueness of the Irving situation.

“You just don’t know what you’d be trading for. You don’t know whether he wants to play –does he want to play for you? Does he want to play at all?” Wojnarowski said, via Sturm.

“He wanted Brooklyn, he wanted Kevin Durant, he wanted to play for his childhood team and there have been a lot of instances where it’s fair to question how much he wanted to play.”

The Nets have said Irving will be held out until he receives the vaccine. Irving, who explained his stance in an Instagram Live post, reportedly has no plans to be vaccinated.

“I am doing what’s best for me. I know the consequences here and if it means that I’m judged and demonized for that, that’s just what it is,” Irving said. “That’s the role I play, but I never wanted to give up my passion, my love, my dream just over this mandate.”

Irving would be ineligible for all of Brooklyn’s home games, but could play in most road games. But the Nets have other plans.

“Given the evolving nature of the situation and after thorough deliberation, we have decided Kyrie Irving will not play or practice with the team until he is eligible to be a full participant,” Nets GM Sean Marks in a statement.

“Kyrie has made a personal choice, and we respect his individual right to choose. Currently the choice restricts his ability to be a full-time member of the team, and we will not permit any member of our team to participate with part-time availability.

“It is imperative that we continue to build chemistry as a team and remain true to our long-established values of togetherness and sacrifice.”

Irving, 29, averaged 26.9 points and 6.0 assists in 54 games last season, his second in Brooklyn.