BROOKLYN, N.Y. — Could Kyrie Irving soon be on the move yet again?
Contract talks between the star point guard and the Brooklyn Nets have reportedly stalled, according to Shams Charania of Stadium/The Athletic.
Irving has until June 29 to pick up a $36.9 million player option to stay with the Nets for another year. If he declines the option, he could test free agency.
According to Charania, the Lakers, Knicks and Clippers are all potential suitors for the 30-year-old seven-time All-Star.
The Nets signed Irving in free agency prior to the 2019-2020 season. He missed an extensive amount of games that season due to a shoulder injury before undergo season-ending surgery in Feb. 2020.
This past season, Irving remained unvaccinated against COVID-19 prior to the season, meaning he could not play in home games due to New York City's COVID-19 mandate.
He didn't make his road debut until January of 2022 and he payed just 29 regular season games before the Nets were swept by the Celtics in their lone playoff series. New York City lifted the mandate in March, which allowed Irving to play in home games at the end of the year and playoffs.
There have been questions about Irving's future with the Nets since the end of the season. GM Shawn Marks said in May the team wanted their players to "play selfless" and "be available."
“I think we know what we’re looking for,” Marks said. “We’re looking for guys that want to come in here, be part of something bigger than themselves, play selfless, play team basketball, and be available. That goes not only for Kyrie but for everybody here.”
Irving and Kevin Durant have played just 44 games together since they both joined the Nets in 2019 and it seems this experiment could potentially be crumbling down.
Brooklyn traded the third star James Harden to the 76ers during this past season in exchange for Ben Simmons, who sat out the entire season.
After years with LeBron James in Cleveland, Irving went to the Celtics for two seasons in 2017 before joining the Nets in 2019. If he left Brooklyn, he'd be joining his fourth team in six years.
On Monday's Locked on Nets podcast, hosts Doug Norrie and Adam Armbrecht discuss this news, what it means for the two sides, how it all could play out, and what to keep an eye out for both short and long term.