Kyrie Irving is a step closer to making his season debut. The Eastern Conference-leading Brooklyn Nets announced Tuesday that Irving, along with Kevin Durant and LaMarcus Aldridge, have cleared the NBA’s health and safety protocols—a major step toward getting them back on the court. Irving has not played this season, largely because of his decision not to be vaccinated against the coronavirus and the Nets initially not being willing to have the perennial All-Star with them on a part-time basis. Irving has not been eligible to play home games because of a local rule in New York requiring vaccinations, and he and the Nets decided earlier this month that having him back—even if only for road games—will allow the team “to more optimally balance the physical demand on the entire roster.” Durant hasn’t played since Dec. 16, but he has missed only three games so far because the Nets had …