"As much as Kevin Durant is scratching and having Kyrie Irving’s back, when the hell is he gonna return the favor?" - Kendrick Perkins outrightly calls out Kyrie Irving for not keeping his end of the bargain

The NBA was stunned when Kevin Durant left the Golden State Warriors to play alongside Kyrie Irving for the Brooklyn Nets. They have been installed as the favorites or among the top bets to win the title in each of the three seasons they’ve joined forces.

Instead of dominating the league, they’ve won only one playoff series, including an embarrassing sweep against the Boston Celtics this season. KD has more than played his part while “Uncle Drew” has left his buddy hanging.

Kendrick Perkins, on an episode of the Swagu and Perk podcast, almost felt bad for Durant and ripped Irving for his unreliability:

“As much as Kevin Durant is scratching and having Kyrie Irving’s back when the hell is he gonna return the favor? Stop putting KD in these uncompromising situations bro because it’s unfair. And if you’re KD, at what point are you gonna get tired?... How much time do KD really have to continue to waste his valuable years waiting on Kyrie Irving? You can’t get this life back!”

Arguably, no one has been as invested and as dedicated as Kevin Durant for the Brooklyn Nets over the last three years. When healthy, he’s been the biggest driving force behind the Nets’ success.

With Kyrie Irving missing a ton of games and James Harden out of shape this season, Durant was everything the Nets thought they were getting. At the height of the Omicron surge, KD was leading role players and G-League call-ups to win basketball games through sheer will and skills.

After everything he has done for “Uncle Drew,” the enigmatic point guard could bolt somewhere else, leaving Durant in an embarrassing situation. With Brooklyn playing hardball against Irving’s desire to get a five-year $245 million contract, the stage is set for “Kai” to have Durant’s back.

Perkins continued to lament KD’s situation:

“I’m not saying that Kevin Durant doesn’t have another 4-5 years of playing high-level basketball and being arguably the “best player in the world,” but at the end of the day, Swag [Marcus Spears], you cannot take these years for granted.”

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The Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving partnership could sensationally end in a matter of days

The Brooklyn Nets superstars have only played 44 regular-season games and 13 playoff matches. [Photo: Complex]

Kyrie Irving declared after the Brooklyn Nets season ended that he wasn’t leaving Kevin Durant. He said that with the assumption that his team would give him a maximum extension or a new max deal. That hasn’t happened as the Nets don’t want to commit to someone they can’t trust.

The seven-time All-Star only has until June 29 to decide how he wants to proceed with the negotiations. He could opt-in and play out the final year of his contract or seek an extension, which is likely to be a short-term offer from the Nets.

Irving could also decline his player option and become an unrestricted free agent. He doesn’t have a lot of options in the market if he goes that route. The 33-year-old playmaker could play for a non-contending team for the money or he could go to the LA Lakers and reunite with LeBron James.

If he goes to Hollywood, the Lakers can only offer him roughly $6 million as their mid-level exemption. The ball is now in Kyrie Irving’s hands while Kevin Durant continues to wait and protect his buddy’s back.