9:10 p.m.: Silver and Irving meet on Tuesday morning in New York, Stein tweets.
4:01 p.m.: According to Substack’s Marc Stein, “There is a growing pessimism in different corners of the league Kyrie Irving will ever play for them nets again.” Irving is currently suspended from Brooklyn without pay and must meet six requirements before returning to court after promoting an anti-Semitic film on social media.
As Stein writes, some close to the trial feel that the list of conditions “was prepared with the knowledge that Irving is unlikely to meet all six and therefore could potentially face full parole.” general director Sean Marks said Friday the Nets hadn’t considered leaving Irving, but perhaps that could change if he doesn’t meet the team’s requirements.
Sources tell Stein that Irving should meet with him Adam Silver, the commissioner of the NBA, already on Tuesday. Silver last week issued a statement about Irving’s “reckless decision” and failure to issue an “unreserved apology,” in which he denounced the “disgusting and harmful content of the film he was planning to release.” Irving eventually apologized after being suspended but chose not to attend a couple of combative media sessions with reporters that led to it.
While the events leading up to his suspension were by far the most damaging of Irving’s career (and most hurtful to others), he missed more games (129) than played (111) for the Nets during his four years at Brooklyn. He was injured in his first year, missed the team for a few weeks in the 2020/21 season due to personal reasons and last season he was limited to 29 games after refusing to be vaccinated against COVID-19, which was played a major factor in this James Harden apply for a trade with the Sixers in February – and get traded.
During the offseason, he tried to find a trade with the Nets’ permission but couldn’t find takers, so he ended up getting his $36.9 million player option for ’22/23. All of this led to internal disputes with the organization, culminating in his recent suspension.
Stein previously reported that “strong voices” told the owner Joe Tsai attitude to reconsider I am Udoka substitute Steve Nash as head coach. That hasn’t happened yet, but Stein says Udoka is “allegedly the preferred choice” of Marks and Star Forward Kevin Durant.
In other Udoka-related news, sources tell Stein that Udoka, who was suspended by the Celtics for the season following an investigation into his inappropriate workplace relationship, has had to forfeit half of his roughly $4 million salary as part of the suspension. The Celtics declined to comment on the financial details of the suspension.