Irving decided to use the option in the contract that guaranteed him $37 million to play for the Brooklyn Nets for another season. He himself confirms this to The Athletic.
Ordinary people keep the world going, but those who dare to be different lead us into tomorrow. I have decided to use the option. Irving told the site, See you this fall.
Hence, there will be no immediate reunion with LeBron James. One option Irving should have considered was refusing to stay in the net to become part of the LeBron Lakers, ESPN reports. This would result in a wage cut of about $30 million, which is roughly the equivalent of 300 million kroner.
Kyrie Irving and LeBron James together won the NBA Finals at the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2016.
Now Irving is still in The Nets, where he plays with, among others, star Kevin Durant. The team was a favorite before last season, but smoked in the first round of the playoffs with four straight losses to the Boston Celtics, who reached the NBA Finals.