It seems like a big price to pay. With Kyrie Irving they were the #2 team in the East. Without him they aren't a playoff team at all.
Maybe their fans won't care about not making the playoffs. It is possible the Nets' fanbase will understand how the Nets are unilaterally changing the terms of Kyrie Irving's contract so that he's now not allowed to play unless he does extra thing he never agreed to during the contract negotiations both sides signed, and the result is that their team is now a .500 team because of it. It could be that Nets fans are so fearful of COVID that they worry they'd catch it through their TV screens if Kyrie is allowed on the court. Or maybe the fans won't be as excited to watch a team that loses more, won't buy as many jerseys, and won't put as much money in the pockets of the Nets' owners. I don't think every customer is always right, but I do think a continent large enough to shut down an area over is something a business owner should pay attention to.