Kyrie Irving wants an extension to remain with Nets

Last summer, Irving and the Nets failed to reach a contract extension, before he chose to opt in to the last year of his deal and stay with Brooklyn. 

But since he returned from his suspension on Nov. 20, Irving has been great, averaging 26.7 points per game and shooting 40% from 3-point range. 

And the Nets have gone 22-8, and 20-4 before Kevin Durant's knee injury.

That was always the dream when Brooklyn signed Irving and Durant before the 2019-20 season, though injuries and Irving's various crises — refusing to get vaccinated, dabbling in anti-semitism — have derailed the dream over the years. 

Two factors might influence the Nets' extension decision. One, the last two months validated the idea of Brooklyn as a title contender. 

And two, as a team over the salary cap, they won't have the means to replace Irving's max contract slot if he leaves.

Still, it's telling that this announcement came from Shetellia Irving, Kyrie's agent and stepmother. 

The Nets didn't say they want to lock up Irving long-term. Kyrie simply said he's willing to stay.

A maximum contract extension is likely off the table, but the Nets may be willing to commit to their volatile star if Irving is willing to take less than the four years and around $200M he's eligible to sign for.

Why do it now, rather than re-sign Irving this summer? The Nets' incentive would be to keep Irving off the free agent market, where another team with max or near-max cap space could sign him. Like, hypothetically, the Los Angeles Lakers.

But given the turmoil of the last two years, we would expect that any Irving extension would involve a significant step down from $200M. If he really wants to make Brooklyn his home, Irving is going to have to offer his own hometown discount.