Kyrie Irving ends speculation by saying he will return to Brooklyn Nets

Kyrie Irving has decided to exercise his $36.9m option for the coming season and will remain under contract with the Brooklyn Nets.

“Normal people keep the world going, but those who dare to be different lead us into tomorrow. I’ve made my decision to opt in. See you in the fall,” he told The Athletic on Monday.

On Twitter, Irving posted a separate statement: “I know who I am,” he wrote. For now, that still means a member of the Nets.

The seven-time All-Star averaged 27.4 points and 5.8 assists this past season for the Nets, with whom he has spent the last three seasons. He’s about to enter the final season in a four-year, $137m deal with Brooklyn.

Irving had until Wednesday to inform the Nets of his opt-in decision. It closes one element of the ongoing saga regarding Irving’s future, which has been one of the biggest storylines as the league prepares for the start of free agency on Thursday.

However, it may not be over. Irving could still have his contract extended before free agency begins. Also, the Nets could still trade him and, in fact, teams may be more interested in a deal now that Irving is on an expiring contract.

He appeared in only 29 regular-season games this past season, largely because of his decision to not be vaccinated against Covid-19. That made him ineligible to play in most of Brooklyn’s home games, until getting an exemption to New York City’s vaccine mandate in the spring.

Irving said after the Nets were swept by Boston in the first round that he planned on remaining in Brooklyn, even talking about him and Kevin Durant managing the franchise along with general manager Sean Marks and owner Joe Tsai. But Marks later made clear that discussions about Irving’s future would have to involve discussions