One longtime NBA coach told The Athletic that letting Irving play only in road games would be the equivalent of “dropping a large boulder into a small pond every few weeks” in relation to team chemistry due to the role Irving has on the team. Now that option could be back on the table. It’s unclear whether Irving’s return would be through vaccination — he would need to take one dose of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine or two doses of Pfizer or Moderna to satisfy the mandate — or if he would just practice and play on the road.