Sean Marks on Kyrie Irving: He’s committed

Alex Schiffer @Alex__Schiffer
Asked Sean Marks about the roster. He wants to give Nic Claxton and Day’Ron Sharpe a shot down low before adding more help there, it seems. Those thinking Dwight Howard might come through can relax for now. – 2:09 PM

Brian Lewis @NYPost_Lewis
Sean Marks on not trading Kevin Durant: “It’s pretty difficult to get like-for-like.” #nets pic.twitter.com/KwS717m45s – 2:00 PM

Alex Schiffer @Alex__Schiffer
Sean Marks said he “it’s pretty difficult to get like for like” with a trade for Kevin Durant. Said when Durant took his request back, plenty of GMs called Marks and essentially said “we wouldn’t have dealt him either.” – 1:55 PM

Michael Scotto @MikeAScotto
Nets GM Sean Marks on Kyrie Irving opting in and not signing him to a long-term deal: “We obviously could not find a middle ground, but at the end of the day, we’re happy Kyrie is here.” pic.twitter.com/da00oNU2I3 – 1:55 PM

Nick Friedell @NickFriedell
Sean Marks on Kyrie: “He’s committed. He understands. In order to get what he wants [in free agency] he’s going to have to show commitment out here … we’re going to see a very determined Kyrie.” – 1:53 PM

Alex Raskin @RaskinDailyMail
#Nets‘ Kyrie Irving says he gave up ‘four years, $100-something mil’ by going unvaccinated as teams backed off him before ‘clusterf***’ offseason: ‘There were options but not many because the stigma of whether I wanted to play’ mol.im/a/11251505 via @MailSport – 1:53 PM

Mike Vorkunov @MikeVorkunov
Sean Marks on how to proceed as Nets GM after Kevin Durant asked owner Joe Tsai to fire him and coach Steve Nash:
Marks: “That’s pro sports, right…. Everybody is entitled to their opinions. From us, it’s to not hold a grudge to what Kevin said.” – 1:53 PM

Brian Lewis @NYPost_Lewis
Sean Marks: “You heard Kevin this morning & that’s that’s reiterated throughout this organization. It’s top to bottom. Every single person in here needs to pull their weight & do what they’re expected. It was a great opportunity for us this offseason…and honestly reflect” #nets – 1:52 PM

Michael Scotto @MikeAScotto
Net GM Sean Marks on Kevin Durant: “If he wanted out, and still wanted out, he wouldn’t be here.” pic.twitter.com/Rky6t5JSPX – 1:51 PM

Anthony Puccio @APOOCH
“First and foremost, I’m not his boss. We’re partners.”
– Sean Marks on KD pic.twitter.com/Llg5qY0EQQ – 1:51 PM

Mike Vorkunov @MikeVorkunov
Sean Marks on his dynamics with Kevin Durant:
“First and foremost, I’m not his boss. We’re partners here. And if he wanted out, and still wanted out, he wouldn’t be here.” pic.twitter.com/Zb3tooOLgv – 1:50 PM

Brian Lewis @NYPost_Lewis
Brooklyn GM Sean Marks on Kevin Durant wanting his coach and boss (GM) fired: “First and foremost I’m not his boss so let me correct you there. We’re partners in this. And if he wanted out, and still wanted out, he wouldn’t be.” #Nets #NBA – 1:50 PM

Alex Schiffer @Alex__Schiffer
Sean Marks said he’s not Kevin Durant’s boss, they’re partners. Said if Durant still wanted out he wouldn’t be here today. – 1:48 PM

Vincent Goodwill @VinceGoodwill
Nets GM Sean Marks on Kevin Durant: “First off, I’m not his boss. We’re partners. If he wanted out and still wanted out, he wouldn’t be here.” – 1:48 PM

Kristian Winfield @Krisplashed
Sean Marks on Kevin Durant: “If he wanted out and still wanted out, he wouldn’t be here.” – 1:48 PM

Alex Schiffer @Alex__Schiffer
Steve Nash and Sean Marks are talking to us now. Should be pretty boring. – 1:46 PM

Adam Zagoria @AdamZagoria
Sean Marks to @YESNetwork on KD’s ultimatum:
“That’s not an easy ultimatum to handle.”
“He obviously took some time to think about it and came back and said, “Yeah, this is where I can lead my championship aspirations and he has a legacy at stake, like we all do.” – 1:34 PM

Michael Singer @msinger
Peyton Watson said he played against KD, Kyrie, PG, and his “big bro” Westbrook this summer. – 1:33 PM

Kristian Winfield @Krisplashed
Kyrie Photo op pic.twitter.com/9yiM6mnfc0 – 1:20 PM

Alex Schiffer @Alex__Schiffer
Kyrie Irving’s photo shoot about to begin. pic.twitter.com/1A9W68mFI0 – 1:17 PM

Adam Zagoria @AdamZagoria
Now on @njdotcom
Kyrie Irving addresses contract situation with Nets: ‘I gave up 4 years, 100-something million to be unvaccinated’ nj.com/nets/2022/09/k… – 12:21 PM

NBA on ESPN @ESPNNBA
KD and Kyrie were all smiles at media day 😄
(via @Anthony Puccio, @boardroom) pic.twitter.com/bjbEGo5cZv – 11:50 AM

Michael Scotto @MikeAScotto
Kyrie Irving on if he was close to leaving the Brooklyn Nets in the offseason: “Yeah. There were options but not many because the stigma of whether or not I wanted to play or whether or not I’m committed to the team, which I thought was really unfair at times.” pic.twitter.com/3YA16wZucg – 11:48 AM

Alex Schiffer @Alex__Schiffer
Simmons said he’s been playing pickup with Durant and Irving all week. Said they look “incredible.” – 11:39 AM

Kristian Winfield @Krisplashed
Ben Simmons on playing with Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving: “We’ve been playing all week.”
How’s it look?
“Incredible.” – 11:39 AM

Vincent Goodwill @VinceGoodwill
Kyrie Irving revealed his vaccination status was the reason he didn’t receive a four-year max extension BEFORE last season began – 11:37 AM

Nick Friedell @NickFriedell
Kyrie said it was made clear by the organization before last season that if he he got the vaccination — the max extension would be there for him. When he chose not to do so, it put his long-term future on hold with the organization. – 11:35 AM

Tania Ganguli @taniaganguli
Kyrie Irving says he felt like he was given an ultimatum about being vaccinated during contract negotiations with the Nets before last season. – 11:34 AM

Kristian Winfield @Krisplashed
Kyrie said him and @Nick Friedell are gonna be best friends by the end of the season. – 11:34 AM

Mike Vorkunov @MikeVorkunov
Kyrie Irving said he was close to leaving the Nets this summer. He said he had options to go.
Irving: “But not many, I’ll tell you that. Again, this stigma. Whether or not I want to play. Whether I’m committed to this team. Which I thought was really unfair at times.” – 11:33 AM

Kristian Winfield @Krisplashed
Kyrie Irving said he felt like he had there was an ultimatum forced on him to either get vaccinated or be part of the team. – 11:33 AM

Alex Schiffer @Alex__Schiffer
Kyrie Irving expects him and @Nick Friedell “to be best friends by the end of the year.” He’s predicting a hug, too. – 11:33 AM

Adam Zagoria @AdamZagoria
Kyrie to @Nick Friedell : “We’re going to be best friends by the end of the year.” – 11:33 AM

Brian Lewis @NYPost_Lewis
Kyrie says he was embarrassed not just by the sweep against the #Celtics, but by how the #Nets collapsed at the end of the season. #NBA – 11:32 AM

Brian Mahoney @briancmahoney
Kyrie said there were options for him to leave, but not many, in part because of the stigma about how much he wants to play. – 11:31 AM

Anthony Puccio @APOOCH
“Yeah. Yeah, there were options. Not many…”
– Irving on whether he had other teams interested this off-season – 11:30 AM

Brian Lewis @NYPost_Lewis
Was Kyrie Irving ever close to leaving? Shakes his head and said “Yeah. There were options.” But adds “not many” because of the stigma of being unvaccinated. #Nets #NBA – 11:30 AM

Alex Schiffer @Alex__Schiffer
Irving asked if he ever felt closing to leaving and signing for the minimum or mid-level exception: (Pauses for a minute) “Yeah….there were options. Not many.” – 11:30 AM

Kristian Winfield @Krisplashed
Kyrie Irving said the stigma about his available significantly limited his options when he was almost traded this offseason. – 11:30 AM

Vincent Goodwill @VinceGoodwill
Kyrie, if he was close to being gone this offseason: “Yes. Yeah, there were options.” – 11:30 AM

Nick Friedell @NickFriedell
Was Kyrie ever close to being gone this summer?
“Yeah … there were options.” – 11:30 AM

Mike Vorkunov @MikeVorkunov
Kyrie Irving said he and the Nets were supposed to figure out how him being unvaccinated impacted his contract extension talks before last season. They didn’t. He didn’t get an extension this summer.
“I just had to live with it,” he said. “It was a tough pill to swallow.” – 11:29 AM

Adam Zagoria @AdamZagoria
Kyrie on his contract:
“We were supposed to have all that figured out before training camp last year and it just didn’t happen because of the status of me being unvaccinated.
“I just had to live with it and it was tough pill to swallow, honestly.” – 11:29 AM

Brian Mahoney @briancmahoney
Kyrie tells @Howard Beck it’s going to be hard to play the hypothetical game against us. He must know that Howard has a crystal ball. – 11:29 AM

Brian Lewis @NYPost_Lewis
Kyrie: “There was a level of uncertainty of what this was going to look like of me coming back and I had questions. They were answered truthfully and that’s all I needed….I gave up four years $160 million deciding to be unvaccinated and that was the decision.” – 11:28 AM

Anthony Puccio @APOOCH
Kyrie Irving raves about Ben Simmons being a big guard, among other things pic.twitter.com/8hhsLFUD7f – 11:27 AM

Adam Zagoria @AdamZagoria
Kyrie says he and Ben Simmons have a connection because both were coached by @coachkevinboyle and got mother effed during practice – 11:26 AM

Alex Schiffer @Alex__Schiffer
Kyrie Irving talking about Ben Simmons and mentions both playing for Kevin Boyle in high school: “We’re used to getting yelled at.” Day’Ron Sharpe played for Boyle, too. – 11:26 AM

Brian Lewis @NYPost_Lewis
Kyrie: “I didn’t appreciate how me being vaccinated came to be a stigma within my career that I don’t want to play or I’m willing to give up everything to be a voice for the voiceless….That wasn’t the only intent that I had.” #Nets – 11:26 AM

Mike Vorkunov @MikeVorkunov
Kyrie Irving, while answering a question about his contract extension talks with the Nets:
“I didn’t appreciate how me being unvaccinated came to be a stigma in my career… It wasn’t the only intent to be a voice for the voiceless. It was to be something bigger than myself.” – 11:25 AM

Brian Lewis @NYPost_Lewis
Kyrie on #Nets talks: “We had some internal conversations at the end of the season…that I felt were going in the right direction, but it just didn’t end up well going into free agency. I understood all the #Nets‘ points and I respected and honored it.” – 11:24 AM

Mike Vorkunov @MikeVorkunov
Kyrie Irving synthesizing what this summer was like for him, and the Nets, between his contract talks and the Kevin Durant trade request.
“Being in the middle of — it’s kind of a clusterfuck… all the stories that have come up with all the narratives around (us).” – 11:23 AM

Anthony Puccio @APOOCH
Kyrie Irving discusses the summer, specifically with friend/teammate Kevin Durant pic.twitter.com/NSl5bsfv5C – 11:23 AM

Tania Ganguli @taniaganguli
Irving acknowledged that it was awkward when KD made his trade request just after he opted into the rest of his contract, but he accepted it. “There was a level of uncertainty in this building.” – 11:23 AM

Alex Schiffer @Alex__Schiffer
Kyrie Irving on the Nets summer: “It was a clusterfuck.”
I agree. – 11:22 AM

Brian Lewis @NYPost_Lewis
Kyrie: “It was just a lot: I opt in. Then hearing Kevin want to be traded. It’s awkward. Im sitting at home, I dont know what to think of it. But… I just ultimately want to see him do well & be happy. If that wasn’t w/ in our organization I was gonna have to accept that.” #Nets – 11:22 AM

Tania Ganguli @taniaganguli
“It was kind of like a clusterf***.” Kyrie Irving on the Nets’ summer. – 11:22 AM

Alex Schiffer @Alex__Schiffer
Kyrie Irving said he honored and understood Kevin Durant’s trade request. – 11:21 AM

Nick Friedell @NickFriedell
Kyrie admits that it was “awkward” to have opted into his player option — while seeing KD asked for a trade. Kyrie said he had some “honest” conversations with Nets management.
“Making the decision to come back to Brooklyn was the best one for me.” – 11:20 AM

Brian Mahoney @briancmahoney
Early understatement award, from Kyrie, on what to think watching the Nets’ summer:
“It’s awkward. Very awkward.” – 11:19 AM

Vincent Goodwill @VinceGoodwill
Kyrie Irving says him opting into his contract then watching Durant’s trade request was: “awkward” – 11:19 AM

Alex Schiffer @Alex__Schiffer
Irving said he was embarrassed after getting swept by the Celtics in April. – 11:18 AM

Adam Zagoria @AdamZagoria
Kyrie on getting swept by the Celtics:
“I felt embarrassed leaving the court.” – 11:18 AM

Kristian Winfield @Krisplashed
Kyrie Irving said he felt embarrassed after getting swept by the Celtics. – 11:18 AM

Anthony Puccio @APOOCH
KD, Kyrie, and Rich Kleiman. All smiles. pic.twitter.com/D5bHEH9ZZh – 11:18 AM

Alex Schiffer @Alex__Schiffer
Kyrie Irving is next – 11:16 AM

Brian Lewis @NYPost_Lewis
Kevin Durant insists Kyrie Irving’s contract talks didn’t have anything to do with his situation: “I’m not the liaison between Kyrie and the organization….I didn’t want to get in between that.” #Nets – 11:10 AM

Mike Vorkunov @MikeVorkunov
“A lot of people get that in their minds that I control everything with the Nets,” Kevin Durant said. “My job is to be a player.
Said he wasn’t an intermediary for Nets and Kyrie Irving. “I’m not the liaison… Whatever they negotiated I had no talks in, I let them handle that.” – 11:08 AM

Nick Friedell @NickFriedell
KD: “I only control my job and my job is to be a player … I’m not the liaison between Kyrie and the organization.” – 11:07 AM

Alex Schiffer @Alex__Schiffer
Kevin Durant said he’s never walked into a GM’s office and demanded anything. Said Irving’s contract situation wasn’t part of his complaints. Said he’s not “the liaison between Kyrie and the organization.” – 11:07 AM

Kristian Winfield @Krisplashed
Kevin Durant on why he made the trade request: “It was a lot of uncertainty around our team last year. I committed to this organization for 4 years last summer with the idea that we were gonna be playing with that group (KD Kyrie & James Harden).” – 11:02 AM