Jun 5, 2021; Brooklyn, New York, USA; Brooklyn Nets point guard Kyrie Irving (11) reacts after making a basket against the Milwaukee Bucks during the second quarter of game one in the Eastern Conference semifinals of the 2021 NBA Playoffs at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports Jun 5, 2021; Brooklyn, New York, USA; Brooklyn Nets point guard Kyrie Irving (11) reacts after making a basket against the Milwaukee Bucks during the second quarter of game one in the Eastern Conference semifinals of the 2021 NBA Playoffs at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports

Kyrie Irving returned to the Brooklyn Nets earlier this month after the franchise decided to allow him to play again. Irving is currently only allowed to play in road games outside of New York City and Toronto due to his unvaccinated status with COVID-19 protocols.

That could be changing very soon. According to Adrian Wojnarowski, there is “real optimism” within the Brooklyn Nets organization that Irving could be a full-time player for the Nets at some point this season.

Here are some reactions around the NBA to the news.

 

There are a few scenarios where this could happen for Brooklyn.

First, Irving could get vaccinated, which seems like the least likely considering how long he sat out of this season due to his refusal to get vaccinated.

Another option is that the Nets could choose to pay a fine for every game that Irving plays and breaks the COVID-19 protocol for the team. It was reported yesterday that the Nets could pay a fine that goes up to $5,000 per game after the third offense for Kyrie to play in home games.

As of now, Wojnarowski says that he thinks it is unlikely that the Nets would do this, but they were also the team that said they wouldn’t allow Kyrie to play in the first place. The last possibility for Irving is for the NBA to lift COVID restrictions at some point this season.

With so many players testing positive for the virus the past few months, this also seems like something that won’t happen this season.

This situation could simply come down to how much does the Brooklyn Nets organization wants to win a championship right now. It seems like the Nets deciding to pay the fines for home games would be the most realistic solution.

Wojnarowski did report that this would depend on the New York State regulations, as teams still need to comply with their state laws for players to be able to play despite the fine.

It is clear that with Kyrie, the Nets are the favorites in the Eastern Conference and probably the favorites in the whole NBA.

[Bleacher Report]

About Reice Shipley

Reice Shipley is a staff writer for Comeback Media that graduated from Ithaca College with a degree in Sports Media. He previously worked at Barrett Sports Media and is a fan of all things Syracuse sports.