The Brooklyn Nets are on the verge of bringing back All-Star guard Kyrie Irving to play in road games, the team confirmed Friday.
Irving hasn’t played this season due to his strong stance on remaining unvaccinated, which made him unavailable for roughly half the team’s games.
The 29-year-old isn’t allowed to play in home games due to New York City mandates that require players to be vaccinated.
Shortly before the season started, the Nets elected against having Irving be a part-time player.
However, there has now been a shift in thinking from club management.
“After discussions with our coaches, players and staff, the organization has decided to have Kyrie Irving re-join the team for games and practices in which he is eligible to participate,” Nets general manager Sean Marks said in a statement Friday night. “We arrived at this decision with the full support of our players and after careful consideration of our current circumstances, including players missing games due to injuries and health and safety protocols.
“We believe that the addition of Kyrie will not only make us a better team but allow us to more optimally balance the physical demand on the entire roster. We look forward to Kyrie’s return to the lineup, as well as getting our entire roster back together on the court.”
Nets Need Reinforcement
Irving’s pending return comes at a time in which star forward Kevin Durant (ankle) is out for Saturday’s road game against the Boston Celtics, leaving the team even more shorthanded.
Star guard James Harden also is out as one of seven Brooklyn players listed in COVID-19 protocols. Veteran forwards LaMarcus Aldridge and Paul Millsap are among the other players.
Overall, Brooklyn lists 11 players as out on its injury report.
Irving will be required to undergo daily testing when he returns.
Kyrie Irving’s return isn’t expected quickly. He has to pass a series of Covid tests before he can start working out with team. Nets haven’t seen him workout and are unclear the kind of shape he’s in now. He’s expected to take his time ramping up again.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) December 17, 2021
Irving, a seven-time All-Star, played in 54 regular-season games for the Nets last season and averaged 26.9 points, 6.0 assists and 4.8 rebounds.
In 582 career games (all starts) with the Cleveland Cavaliers (2011-17), Boston Celtics (2017-19) and Nets, he has averages of 22.8 points, 5.7 assists and 3.8 rebounds.
–Field Level Media (@FieldLevelMedia)
