Without the ability to find a sign-and-trade deal, star guard Kyrie Irving plans to exercise his $36 million player option for next season and return to the Brooklyn Nets, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN.
Irving is eligible to sign an extension up until next June 30, 2023, with Brooklyn or enter 2023 as an unrestricted free agent. By opting-in, Kyrie is eligible to be traded to any of the 29 teams and the hard cap restriction does not apply.
This past season, Irving averaged 27.4 points, 5.8 assists, and 4.4 rebounds in 29 starts but missed a significant number of home games due to his unvaccinated status.
