Nets' Sean Marks on Kyrie Irving: We're Looking for Guys That Want to Be Available

Sean Marks sent a message to the rest of the team as part of a general point about the direction of the franchise.

Marks said the Nets are looking for guys that want to be a part of something bigger than themselves, play team basketball, and be available, when asked if they were committed to Irving long-term.

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"We're looking for guys that want to be a part of something bigger than themselves, play team basketball, and be available. That goes not only for Kyrie but everybody here."Sean Marks on if the Nets are committed to Kyrie long-term.

(via @SNYNets)pic.twitter.com/aOMnP6x6sX

One of the biggest stories of the season was Irving's playing status. He was unavailable for home games most of the year because he didn't get the vaccine.

Unvaccinated athletes were allowed to play home games on March 24 after the New York City mayor rolled back the vaccine mandate.

Irving made his season debut against the Charlotte Hornets. The seven-time All-Star played in all of the Nets final 14 games. He played in the longest streak of games since the season ended.

As the Nets got swept in the playoffs, Irving's performance fell off dramatically. He scored 46 points on 16-of-43 shooting in the final three games after putting up 39 points on 12-of-12 shooting in the opener.

Questions about Irving's future with the organization were raised by Brooklyn's loss to the Celtics. He can become a free agent by turning down his option. He told reporters on April 26 that he doesn't plan on going anywhere.

When I say that I am here with Kevin, I mean that we are managing this franchise together with Joe and Sean, and our group of family members that we have in our organization.

If Irving opts out of his current contract with the Nets, he will be able to sign a five-year, $246 million extension. He has averaged 27.1 points and made 40.6 percent of his three-point attempts in three seasons with Brooklyn, but he has only appeared in 103 games during that time.