Kyrie Irving has official permission to seek an exit from the Brooklyn Nets.

The New York Daily News' Kristian Winfield reports the team has given the okay for the point guard to seek a sign-and-trade deal.

Winfield notes that the belief inside league and player circles is that Irving will leave the team this offseason after three years with the team that saw him appear in just a combined 103 games.

The 30-year-old Irving missed significant time with a shoulder injury, an extended absence for personal reasons and his reticence to get vaccinated left him unable to play in New York City for much of last season where there was no exemption for pro athletes.

Irving signed a four-year, $136.5 million deal in the summer of 2019 with the final year consisting of a $36.5 million player option. Irving has until Wednesday to exercise it.

The dilemma the Nets face with Irving is considerable. Should he opt out, the Nets will not have the cap space to replace him. What complicates matters for Irving is that the teams that could theoretically afford him as a free agent aren't title contenders. A sign-and-trade could satisfy both parties.

But that, too, might not be easy. Winfield notes that Irving has six teams that he is considering: the New York Knicks, Dallas Mavericks, Miami Heat, Los Angeles Lakers, Philadelphia 76ers and Los Angeles Clippers. A deal that would see Irving head to the Lakers in exchange for Russell Westbrook, reuniting the 2017 NBA Most Valuable Player with former Oklahoma City Thunder teammate Kevin Durant, is unlikely.

The situation around Durant also becomes complicated by Irving's future. Should the Nets be unable to replace Irving with a comparable star, the 33-year-old Durant could also seek a trade. Durant is set to enter the first year of a four-year, $194 million deal this fall.

Irving and Nets general manager Sean Marks have yet to speak directly.

Born in Melbourne and raised in West Orange, NJ, Irving has been an All-Star seven times over his 11 NBA seasons. Originally taken with the first overall selection of the 2011 NBA Draft out of Duke, Irving previously played with the Cleveland Cavaliers and Boston Celtics, winning the NBA title with the former in 2016.