NBA Rumors: Kyrie Irving says he wants to re-sign and build a legacy with the Brooklyn Nets. That could start with a deep playoff run and continue with a big contract extension this offseason.
Just a couple of months ago, with all the internal turmoil that the Brooklyn Nets were facing, there was no guarantee that Kyrie Irving was going to be back with the team next season.
Up until that point, Kyrie had not played a single game with the team, was not allowed to be a part-time player, and James Harden was still on the roster.
Fast forward to today, almost every part of the previous sentence has changed – in a big way. Kyrie has since rejoined the team, he’s now a full-time player once again, and Harden is now a member of the Philadelphia 76ers.
The tide appears to be turning in Brooklyn and they’re beginning to trend in the right direction. So much so that Kyrie all but stopped short of saying that he intends to re-sign with the Nets.
"[via ESPN]“To be honest, I signed up for this for the long run,” Irving said. “I love this year. I’m grateful. It has not been the prototypical year. But when I look at my teammates and I look at what we have as an organization. I’m looking for the long run and what we can do, legacy talk.”…“For me, it has always been about being comfortable and loving where I’m at. I love it here,” Irving said. “Once that summertime hits, I know we’ll have some conversations but there’s no way I could leave my man 7 anywhere.”"
When the Harden trade went down, this is probably something we should’ve seen coming. Plus, now that Kyrie is allowed to play in home games, the early-season problems between Kyrie and the organization seem to be a thing of the past.
What could really cement a Kyrie extension could be a deep playoff run. And it feels – and looks – as if the Nets are primed for one. They will have an uphill battle, don’t get me wrong, but this is a team that has all the pieces in place to be a real problem in the Eastern Conference.
The Nets are an interesting experiment. All eyes will continue to be on this team as the playoffs quickly approach. They’re as dangerous as any other playoff team – or contender -in the East. And it appears as if that’s going to be the case for a very long time as it appears Kevin Durant and Kyrie will be in the fold for the foreseeable future.