Getty Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving teamed up on the Nets.
All-Star point guard Kyrie Irving will officially become a free agent on July 1. There has been a lot of speculation on what direction Irving could be headed in this summer. He could reunite with his former Cleveland Cavaliers teammate LeBron James in Los Angeles or possibly re-sign with the Dallas Mavericks long-term. But in an Instagram live session on May 24, Irving shut down all the rumors that have circulated about his future since the regular season ended.
“I’m a free agent this summer, but I am in no rush to make a decision,” Irving said of his upcoming free agency.
“The speculation around my name from all these individuals that get on TV and have these personalities… When they speak on my name and they’re talking about potential teams that I’m going to, respectfully, I’m asking you to please stop paying attention to that. I am in no rush to make a decision.”
Kyrie tells fans to not believe any rumors of where he will go this Free Agency. It’s all for clicks
Suns Linked to Deal for Kyrie Irving
It’s nearly impossible to get a read on Kyrie or what he is thinking. And amid his pending free agency, several teams could use his services, so he will have his pick of the litter when choosing his next destination. Another idea that has been floated for him is the Phoenix Suns, which would reunite him with his former Nets co-star, Kevin Durant.
“A thing that has a slightly larger tiny, tiny, tiny, tiny percent chance of happening — a sign-and-trade with the Phoenix Suns,” ESPN’s Tim MacMahon said of Irving on the April 11 edition of “Howdy Partners”.
“The Dallas Mavericks have a gaping hole at their starting center. The Dallas Mavericks believe that Deandre Ayton is an extremely talented young big man who has a lot of untapped potential. Those are the facts. If it’s not Dallas, I don’t see a cap space route just with the teams that have room, just sliding him in there.”
Mavs General Manager Sounds off on Kyrie Irving
Irving’s first go-around in Dallas was nothing short of a failure. He demanded a trade from the Brooklyn Nets at the trade deadline in February after the two sides were at a standstill in negotiation terms for a max-contract extension.
However, it was an even bigger failure for the Mavericks. Dallas was only a year removed from going to the Western Conference Finals and brought back the same core that got them there to start the season. But they pushed all their chips to the middle to land Kyrie at the trade deadline, and in the end, they missed out on the playoffs.
But despite the fallout of the regular season, Mavericks general manager Nico Harrison has no doubts about the effectiveness of the All-Star duo of Irving and Luka Doncic. The issue right now is putting the correct role players around the two stars.
“I think when we have that talented of a player — that talented of two players — I think they work together,” Harrison said during his exit interview in April.
“I really think it’s the players around them … kind of knowing their role with having those two guys out on the floor at the same time. I think that’s the thing that we need to work on.”
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Kyrie Irving Breaks Silence on Free Agency Plans Amid Suns Rumors