Amid a litany of absences due to injuries and the NBA's health protocols, the Brooklyn Nets will allow guard Kyrie Irving to rejoin the team as a part-time player, general manager Sean Marks announced Friday.
"We arrived at this decision with the full support of our players and after careful consideration of our current circumstances, including players missing games due to injuries and health and safety protocols," Marks said in a statement.
However, on Saturday, Brooklyn announced Irving entered health and safety protocols, potentially pushing back an eventual return on the road.
The 29-year-old Irving won't be able to play in New York because he's unvaccinated. He's yet to play at all this season after the Nets initially decided to not allow him to only play in road games.
A seven-time All-Star and one-time champion, Irving averaged 26.9 points, six assists, 4.8 rebounds, and 1.4 steals in just under 35 minutes per game last season.
Excluding Irving, the Nets are currently listing 10 players as out for Saturday's contest against the Orlando Magic.
James Harden, LaMarcus Aldridge, DeAndre' Bembry, Bruce Brown, Jevon Carter, James Johnson, Paul Millsap, and Kevin Durant are all currently in the league's COVID protocols. Joe Harris is recovering from left ankle surgery.
Additionally, Nic Claxton is questionable to play due to left wrist soreness, while David Duke Jr. is listed as probable with left hip soreness.
"We believe that the addition of Kyrie will not only make us a better team but allow us to more optimally balance the physical demand on the entire roster," Marks added, referencing the immense workloads allocated to Brooklyn's players.
For instance, Durant, 33, is averaging 37 minutes per game - his largest workload since his age-25 season and the second-most minutes per contest in the league this campaign among qualified players. Harden ranks seventh in the league with 36.2 minutes per game despite coming into the season still showing ill-effects from the hamstring issues he experienced last postseason.
But the ripple effect has been especially pronounced for the Nets' role players. Patty Mills, a career-long reserve who was planned to rest Saturday but was then listed as available, is averaging a career-high 29.8 minutes per game - including over 34 minutes a night over his last 16 outings. Blake Griffin, who had been dropped from the rotation in late November, has logged more than 30 minutes in each of Brooklyn's last two outings.