The Brooklyn Nets are optimistic about their future after some “very positive conversations” with Kyrie Irving and James Harden.
The james harden contract extension is an article about the Brooklyn Nets and their recent conversations with Kyrie Irving and James Harden.
Last season, when the Brooklyn Nets added James Harden to the combination of Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving, already lofty expectations soon grew to championship-or-bust proportions. When the franchise’s Big Three were on the floor together, a shaky fit seemed to disappear. After having positive talks with Harden and Irving about contract extensions, the club now seems even more confident about its title prospects.
Last season’s playoffs were disrupted by injuries for the Nets. As the Brooklyn Nets fell to the eventual champion Milwaukee Bucks, Harden and Irving were injured. Durant was just not capable of carrying the club on his own. With a few roster changes and more solid commitments from the Nets’ other two players, the team is back on track to be championship contenders.
After a dismal playoff run, the Nets reacted with a shrewd summer that featured smart draft choices and off-the-radar free-agent acquisitions. For Brooklyn to win, the team’s Big Three must stay healthy, which was an issue last season. Harden was injured in the first minute of Game 1 of the series against Milwaukee, while Irving was wounded in Game 4.
That left Durant with the task of leading a weakened team over Giannis Antetokounmpo and his teammates. He came within half a big toe of accomplishing it, but even if the Nets had defeated Milwaukee, they didn’t have enough to win a title. Without Harden and Irving, they lacked depth.
However, general manager Sean Marks attempted to address the issue by surrounding the team’s top three with additional talent. Cam Thomas of LSU was selected 27th overall in the 2021 draft by Brooklyn. As a freshman, Thomas was one of the greatest scorers in college basketball, but he fell to the bottom of the first round. On draft night, Marks also added North Carolina big man Day’Ron Sharpe. Sharpe is an athletic rebounder with a growing offensive game who plays with a lot of energy and effort.
Patty Mills, a former San Antonio Spurs guard, was also signed by the Nets to serve as Irving’s backup. Blake Griffin and Bruce Brown, two key players from last season, were also re-signed. As experienced frontcourt depth, Paul Millsap and LaMarcus Aldridge have joined the team.
If one, two, or even all three of Brooklyn’s players go down with injuries, the team’s roster is now deep enough to bear the burden for a short time. If the whole squad remains healthy, head coach Steve Nash will have even more choices.
Keeping Harden and Irving around for a long time would give the Nets a better chance of winning a title.
In the last minute of an NBA game between the Brooklyn Nets and the Los Angeles Clippers, Brooklyn Nets guards James Harden and Kyrie Irving give high fives. | Brian Rothmuller/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
Durant has already agreed to a four-year, $194 million contract that will keep him in Brooklyn until 2025-26. He’s in good hands.
Irving’s current contract is for two more seasons, but he has a player option for 2022-23 ($36.5 million) that he will very certainly decline. Harden is in the same situation, with the exception that his player option is worth more than $47 million, causing him to consider activating it.
After 2022-23, both Irving and Harden will be unrestricted free agents.
Marks, though, stated in a story on Yahoo Sports that he’s had excellent talks with representatives of both players regarding contract extensions:
“In terms of the extension discussions, we’ve had really good discussions with both of those men — whether it’s family members, (other) individuals, and so on. I believe that doing these things in person is always beneficial. Again, since it’s summer, we’re conscious of allowing folks to have time off before we all get back into the flow of things here.
“Over the next week, two weeks, we’re looking forward to getting down with them and continuing those discussions.”
Sean Marks, the general manager of the Brooklyn Nets, is in discussions with Harden and Irving about contract extensions.
Brooklyn would be title contenders for the foreseeable future if Durant, Harden, and Irving were all signed long-term contracts.
It goes without saying that having three of the league’s top players on your squad makes you a championship contender. But, as the club discovered last season, having the three isn’t enough. Championship teams need depth, something the Nets lacked in the Eastern Conference playoffs.
The team, on the other hand, had a productive summer, both in terms of the draft and free agency. If one or more of Durant, Harden, or Irving fall down, backups are on the way.
However, if Harden and/or Irving decide to go after next season, that depth will be meaningless. All of Brooklyn’s advantages would be for nothing if he couldn’t get The Beard and match him with his deadly combo.
However, if the Nets can reach an agreement with Harden and Irving on contract extensions — which seems to be a possibility — and retain the duo with Durant, the team will remain atop the Eastern Conference for the next half-decade.
Spotrac provided all contract information.
RELATED: The Milwaukee Bucks are rebuilding their bench and preparing for a second straight NBA title run.
The Brooklyn Nets, who are in the midst of a rebuild, have been having very positive conversations with Kyrie Irving and James Harden. Reference: where is kyrie irving from.
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