Brooklyn Nets guard Kyrie Irving has received permission from the club to seek a sign-and-trade package, Kristian Winfield of the New York Daily News reported on Monday.
Irving has until Wednesday to decide to accept his $36 million player option, or he will enter free agency as an unrestricted free agent and become eligible to sign with another team.
Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN reported that the Los Angeles Lakers are currently the only team pursuing Irving, but sources told The Athletic that the New York Knicks and Los Angeles Clippers could also be in the mix. Wojnarowski adds that the Nets "have no interest in taking back the available Lakers packages."
Irving signed with the Nets in 2019 in free agency, but appeared in only 103 regular-season games across three seasons.
The Athletic reported ahead of the NBA Draft that contract talks between Irving and the Nets had reached an impasse and the future of the guard in Brooklyn was unclear.
What also remains unclear is how Irving's decision will impact the future of former MVP Kevin Durant, who has a new four-year, $192-million contract that kicks in next season. Wojnarowski reports that "The uncertainty surrounding Irving's future with the Nets continues to leave the franchise vulnerable to a Kevin Durant trade request, but that has yet to materialize."
NBA free agency opens Thursday at 6 p.m. ET.
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