Not giving Kyrie Irving an extension makes all the sense in the world, except the Nets have little choice

Regardless of your stance on vaccines, his decision to not receive a vaxx for COVID was selfish. It was a choice he made for himself, and the people that he affected were damned. The Brooklyn Nets were put in a bad spot as a play-in team because of that. They didn't have enough time to gel in order to compete against the Boston Celtics in the first round, according to Irving.

There was a previous season in which he missed nine games for personal reasons. Irving has had injury problems since he moved to Cleveland. He plays when it's convenient to him, three seasons into his time with the Nets.

Unless the organization is the Brooklyn Nets, that is not the type of person to sign a long-term contract. After the Celtics sweep, Irving said that he sees himself and KD managing the team along with owner Joe Tsai and GM Sean. The problem with Irving having that power and influence is that he operates in a space all to himself, but the Nets chose to give him and KD that power.

It would be hard to do a reset on that power now. A source told the New York Daily News that the Nets are unwilling to give Irving a long-term contract extension. Since the end of the season, Durant has not communicated with the front office.

The Nets have a solution to all of the problems: give Irving an extension. Don't allow him to enter free agency or stay with the team for one more year. Maybe they can try to reason with him, but they have to keep him healthy and happy. Unfortunately for the Nets, the best way for them to do that is with Irving and Simmons, who did not play basketball the entire 2020-21 season due to a combination of mental health and back issues.

Unless Marks and Tsai make a huge roster move that would allow them to sell Durant to the Nets, they're all stuck with each other. You better make some good jokes because you have what in front of you.

It could be worse for the Nets, who have found themselves in this situation. They are an NBA team with real talent. Joe Harris should be back next year, as well as Bruce Brown and Nic Claxton. Goran Dragi is a veteran ball handler and scorer who can excel in a reduced role. The Nets are as good as any team in the league with a healthy Simmons. The issue again is that a player who can't be counted on to show up.

Business people who run the Nets don't want to deal with people who aren't reliable enough to show up to work. The undependable person is a member of the executive team and holds a lot of influence inside the organization.

The Nets barely rate in New York. Give the celebrities a reason to come to the arena and the NBA a reason to keep them on national television as often as possible. They have to hope for the best. There is a mystery to what will happen if he is on the team for the next few seasons. They lose. That logic is unassailable.