Nets announce Kyrie Irving won't play until eligible under COVID-19 local vaccination mandate

• Nets GM Sean Marks said Irving won't play or practice with the team until he's eligible to become a full-time player under local COVID-19 vaccination requirements.

• The Nets were 12-6 without Irving last year; Brooklyn was still the favorite to win the NBA title (+230 on FanDuel, +240 BetMGM) when news was announced Tuesday.

• Kevin Durant is +650 to win MVP on FanDuel and could be a great value if Irving is out for an extended period.

Kyrie Irving's cloudy future with the Nets, at least for now, has a resolution. General Manager Sean Marks said Irving won't play or practice with the team until he's eligible to become a full-time player under local COVID-19 vaccination requirements.

For now, its a Big Two, not a Big Two-and-a-Half in Brooklyn.

Nets' Title Odds

At the time this news was announced, the Nets were still the favorite to win the NBA title (+230 on FanDuel, +240 BetMGM). Keep an eye on where this number moves, if at all in the coming days.

The reality is the Nets were 12-6 without Irving last year and having Kevin Durant, who has the second-best odds to win the MVP (+650), and James Harden still makes for a strong title contender.

This gives the Nets more consistency, especially given the fact they barely had Irving, Durant and Harden on the court together at all last year anyway. Having Irving in and out of the lineup would have made a mess of their chemistry so, for now, there will at least be some lineup consistency.

Kyrie's Future

With Irving, the answer is always, "Who knows?" Durant wanted to leave Steph Curry and the Warriors to team up with Kyrie, and it's a decision that looks disastrous right now. There's a reason it was so important to also go out and get Harden last season.

If Durant says "enough" with this roller coaster, don't be surprised if you see Kyrie's name in some trade rumors in the near future.