Getty Boston Celtics guard Kyrie Irving
The 2019 NBA free agency drama involving Boston Celtics guard Kyrie Irving is set to escalate to another level. The attention for the Celtics will now shift to the offseason and specifically what happens in free agency. The debate of whether Irving will return to the Celtics is a big one, but clarity should come soon enough.
For now, we have to work with the information in front of us, and quite a few things jump out as of late. For starters, there was the fact that NBA analyst Jalen Rose stated on ESPN’s ‘Get Up’ that Irving is “done in Boston” while adding that his “teammates will help him pack.”
Obviously, that’s just one opinion, but it is becoming a popular one. It doesn’t necessarily mean that the Celtics and Irving will part ways, but we’ve come a long way from the point guard telling fans he’d be back at the start of the current season. With that said, we’re going to look at the latest on Irving’s status and whether signs point to him leaving town or returning to Boston.
Kyrie Irving NBA Free Agency News
In the eyes of many, the starting point will be the New York Knicks as a potential landing spot for Irving. But there are a number of intriguing fits and potential options for the 27-year-old, and SNY’s Ian Begley explained that while he believes the Knicks are the favorite, but called the guard a “wild card.”
“People around the league talk about the Lakers as a potential destination for Kyrie, the Nets as a potential destination for Kyrie. And I think what you see over the course of these playoffs is – best case scenario is, he’s Robin to someone else’s Batman, whether it’s Kevin Durant or Kawhi Leonard. I think that’s the way the Knicks have to be thinking here, because Kyrie, based on this small sample size with the Celtics, has not done well as the leading man.” Begley stated.
Interestingly, while the Knicks may have the edge in the eyes of many, Bleacher Report revealed that the Brooklyn Nets have become the odds-on favorites to land Irving in free agency. Courtesy of Bleacher Report Betting, the latest odds look as follows:
- Brooklyn Nets: +250
- New York Knicks: +300
- Boston Celtics: +350
- Los Angeles Lakers: +750
- Los Angeles Clippers: +1000
It’s not all that surprising to see the top three teams listed so closely in terms of the odds. After all, it truly is anyone’s guess at this point what Irving will decide to do. With that said, the potential to team up with Kevin Durant with either the Nets or Knicks has to be appealing. But if the Celtics are able to land Anthony Davis via trade, a pairing which features the young big man with Irving would be tough for all parties to turn down.
Predicting Kyrie Irving’s NBA Free Agency
It’s been a bit of a rocky season with Irving and the Celtics. In turn, I don’t think it’s unrealistic to think that the two sides could part ways with the All-Star guard opting to head to New York. While the idea of him in Los Angeles with either the Lakers or Clippers is intriguing, the big draw will come from either the Nets and Knicks.
If the rumblings of Irving and Durant wanting to possibly team up are true, I think the end game will feature the duo playing in Madison Square Garden while helping lead a Knicks turnaround. It’s a tough outlook to predict, but both Irving and Durant have been linked there since even before the 2018-19 NBA season.
Overall, I’m going to take the Knicks to land Irving, but wouldn’t be surprised if the Nets are able to surge ahead and win out in free agency.
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