But one of the most anticipated free-agency situations involves Brooklyn’s Kyrie Irving, who has a June 29 deadline to select a player with $ 36.9 million for the 2022-23 season. However, many sources tell The Athletic that discussions about Irving’s future have remained stagnant between him and the Nets. There is currently a stalemate between the parties that paves the way for the seven-time All-Star to consider the open market, these sources said. Irving joined the Nets along with Kevin Durand in the summer of 2019, although Durand missed their first season together as he recovered from a torn Achilles tendon. Irving became an All-Star in 2020-21 and helped lead the franchise to the Eastern Conference semifinals alongside Durant and James Harden before injuring his ankle in Game 4 against the Bucks. After last season, in which he played just 29 games and lost most of the home games of the season due to his decision not to comply with the New York vaccination order, Irving made it clear that he intended to return to the Nets in the summer and continue build with Durant and newcomer Ben Simmons. He averaged 27.2 points, 6.1 assists and 3.9 rebounds per game and made 40.4 percent of his 3-point effort in three seasons with Brooklyn, but has appeared in 103 of 216 games. of the normal period. “I do not really intend to go anywhere,” Irving said on April 25 after the Nets’s sweep to the Celtics at the end of the season in the first round of the Eastern Conference playoffs. Nearly two months later, it looks like both sides are working hard to find a solution that will bring Irving back to Brooklyn and his co-star in Durand, who has a contract with the Nets until 2025-26. Several teams across the league are watching the situation, wondering about the future of Irving and Brooklyn. The Lakers, Knicks and Clippers are expected to be among the suitors interested if Irving heads elsewhere, say many sources in The Athletic. For the Lakers, the possible way to acquire Irving – and reunite him with LeBron James – would be Irving’s choice to facilitate a trade, as the Lakers could not realistically clear the way for him to sign. , and a sign-and-trade would cause the hard cap, thus making Irving significantly more difficult to obtain. If Irving chose to join, Lakers general manager Rob Pelinka would have to meet the collective bargaining rules, which means that if Irving’s $ 36.6 million was his only income, the Lakers would could send $ 29.3 million to $ 45.8 million to the Nets and / or a third party in a legal transaction. For the Knicks, the possible course of acquiring Irving depends on what the Nets prioritize. New York is even with the salary limit for 2022-23, so it could open up enough space for Irving to sign a maximum contract, getting rid of salaries like Evan Fournier, Alec Berks, Nerlens Noel and Kemba G. . But the Knicks could also offer some or all of these players to the Nets or a third team in a potential sign-and-trade. For the Clippers, the possible path to acquiring Irving requires him to choose, as they significantly exceed both the luxury tax threshold and the tough 2022-23 ceiling. To meet the pay gap, the Clippers will have to send between $ 29.3 million and $ 45.8 million to the Nets and / or a third team if Irving is the only salary going forward. The Clippers scenario is less complicated than the Lakers, as the Clippers have a range of players who make $ 11 million to $ 17 million to work together. For example, two or three of Norman Powell, Marcus Morris, Luke Kennard and Reggie Jackson who go out meet the CBA’s trade rules and also have a collection of young players like Terance Mann or Brandon Boston who could help sweeten the agreement. A possible Irving departure would be incredibly detrimental to the Nets because of their limited ability to replace him and his salary if Irving signs elsewhere as a free agent. A more likely route for any departure would be via sign-and-trade. Brooklyn owes $ 111 million to six players in 2022-23, not including Irving, so even completing the roster with a minimum wage would put the Nets above next season’s $ 122 million salary cap. If Irving crashes, Brooklyn’s strongest path to adding talent would be to exclude the $ 10.3 million mid-level. Irving is also eligible for a new deal through the exercise of his player selection and the extension of his contract from there, which could earn him an initial salary of $ 45.2 million for 2023-24. “We are looking for kids who want to be part of something bigger than themselves, play team basketball and be available,” Net GM Sean Marks said in May. “This applies not only to Kyrie but to everyone here.” For the Nets, the fate of Irving’s free agency is something to watch as the NBA Draft and the Free Office approach.
More NBA news and notes
Atlanta Hawks Hawks free agent Lou Williams intends to continue his career as a player, says Wallace Prader’s agent. “(Williams) is not seeking retirement and I will be cautious about talking to teams during the free delegation,” Prater said. Williams, a 17-year-old veteran, averaged 6.3 points and 14.3 minutes per game in 56 games last season. Charlotte Hornets Opponents expect the Hornets to bar free agent Miles Bridges from reaching a maximum – or near maximum – deal in July, and sources say Charlotte is reluctant to match a maximum. Bridges had a 2021-22 season, averaging 20.2 points, seven rebounds and 3.8 assists per game. In a league that saw wings such as Golden State’s Andrew Wiggins and Boston’s Jason Tatum and Jalen Brown have a game-changing impact on their way to the NBA Finals, Bridges’s two-pronged ability to win win. Cleveland Cavaliers Cavaliers free agent Colin Sexton has been fired from his full-time basketball job, sources said. Sexton underwent surgery in November to repair a torn meniscus and has fully recovered on the eve of joining the free agency. Opponents believe Sexton’s market could reach $ 20 million a year. Indiana Pacers The Pacers are seriously discussing deals centered on Malcolm Brogdon and Myles Turner, sources said. The Wizards and Knicks are interested in Brogdon, armed with the numbers 10 and 11 respectively, sources said. The Hornets have expressed interest in Turner, the sources said. Nevertheless, Indiana, which has No. 6 in the draft, could choose to continue renewing its veterans core instead of rebuilding entirely around young players. The Minnesota Timberwolves The Timberwolves have discussed deals around veterans’ hubs, including Atlanta’s Clint Capela, sources said. Sacramento Kings The Kings are becoming more comfortable in the draft at No. 4 in Thursday’s draft and have described a sharp price for the teams behind them in the draw trying to make exchanges, sources said. Sacramento CEO Monte McNair has been involved in discussions over Hawks striker John Collins – among many other established, productive players in the market – but there has been no involvement of No. 4 in discussions focused on Collins and McNair. will finally make the decision on the choice, according to sources. Utah Jazz Sources said the Jazz are planning second interviews with almost all 15 candidate coaches as the next step in the process. The 15 candidate coaches are: The Knicks’ assistant, Johnny Bryant. current assistant Alex Jensen. current assistant Lamar Skeeter. Raptors assistant Adrian Griffin? Celtics assistant Will Hardy. Assistant Bucks Charles Lee; Heat Assistant Chris Quinn? Mavericks Assistant Sean Sweeney? Celtics assistant Joe Mazula. Pistons Assistant Jerome Allen. 76ers assistant Sam Cassell; Suns assistant Kevin Young; G League coach Jason Terry. former Lakers coach Frank Vogel. and former Trail Blazers coach Terry Stotts.
Draft note
Auburn’s Jabari Smith, who worked with and met the Magic (No. 1) and Thunder (No. 2) during the predraft process, is a virtual padlock to go to the first two drafts. Remains a favorite for No. 1. Kentucky Shaedon Sharpe is the mysterious man in the NBA Draft. Sharp is a highly regarded lottery winner and sources say he has trained hard in teams such as three-on-three to demonstrate his ability to teams that have not seen him play organized basketball in the past two years. Instead of doing individual training, Sharp sought out the competition, working for teams between the No. 1-13 drafts. G League Ignite’s Michael Foster will end up training for 15 teams, with his 6-foot build and expected flexibility to the next level that make him a draft candidate. In 13 games for the Ignite last season, Foster averaged 14.8 points and 8.7 rebounds per game, the highest for the team. (Photo: Winslow Townson / USA Today)
