The speculation and rumors surrounding expected free agent Kyrie Irving continue to look bleak for the Boston Celtics and their hopes to re-sign the All-Star guard.
So, here’s the latest surrounding the Boston Celtics and the Summer of 2019 is that they are not going to aggressively pursue Anthony Davis and they are basically waving good-bye to Kyrie Irving.
While the latter may be a case of “let’s break up with you before you break up with us,” the Kyrie decision send shock waves throughout the NBA no matter where he ends up. Almost every NBA Insider has their scoop of where Irving will end up and unfortunately for the Celtics, none of those rumors include him sticking around to have No. 11 raised to the rafters.
In fact, Stadium basketball analyst Jeff Goodman affirmed rumors by adding more fuel to the fire that Kyrie Irving’s days in Boston ended with a poor shooting performance in the team’s second-round exit.
"“I’d be surprised if the stays in Boston,” Goodman said appearing on Colin Cowherd’s podcast, via WEEI. “You see his body language. You hear enough smoke, you know there’s something going on here. Obviously, Kyrie’s kinda moody, he’s got a tight inner circle. So, I’m not sure how much validity some of (the rumors have), but again, I don’t expect him to be in Boston. You could see it in the locker room and with his teammates, that they almost don’t know how to take to Kyrie Irving.”"
Goodman went on to say that he doesn’t believe the Boston Celtics organization, including Danny Ainge, would be unhappy if Irving took his talents elsewhere. That doesn’t mean “Trader Danny” isn’t trying to figure out some way to make it work. But, at the same time, being smart with his approach and already working on Plan B and/or Plan C.
Of course, this could all be a bunch of smoke. Kyrie Irving could be plotting against the NBA media and ultimately decide to stay in Boston. In other words, expect the unexpected with this dude.
In the meantime, here are three rumors that appear to spell the end of Uncle Drew’s starring role in Boston.
Brooklyn leading the pack
Remember all those chants at the Barclays Center repeating “Kyrie’s leaving” during games between the Boston Celtics and Brooklyn Nets?
It’s kind of ironic that Kyrie Irving didn’t play in those particular games in Brooklyn. It would also be ironic that the draft pick the Celtics used to get Irving in the deal with the Cleveland Cavaliers was initially one of the Nets picks.
Talk about full circle, Irving ending up in Brooklyn could be the Nets ultimate revenge. Currently with the top odds to land Kyrie, the Nets reportedly plan to join the Anthony Davis sweepstakes to pair the two stars.
Given that Irving grew up in New Jersey a Nets fan, this rumor has some merit to it. It will also allow Brooklyn to pair Uncle Drew and D’Angelo Russell in the same backcourt, which they believe could work.
If they are able to add Davis, the Nets would be a power in the East, which spells doom for the Boston Celtics in that it would be another team they would have to overcome. They would also have to deal with both Kyrie Irving and Anthony Davis multiple times a season.
With how they struggled against D’Angelo Russell, that trio would be a major headache for the green.
Reunion in L.A.
Would Kyrie Irving really reunite with LeBron James and sign with the Los Angeles Lakers?
It is highly possible despite what Stephen A. Smith said about it not being a possibility.
Again, almost every notable NBA Insider are getting mixed messages from sources when it comes to the Kyrie Irving to Los Angeles Lakers rumors. Therefore, any reports from Smith or ESPN’s Brian Windhorst could be taken with a grain of salt.
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With a circle as tight as Irving’s appears to be, it’s unlikely those same sources know for sure either way.
In any event, the Celtics losing out to the LeBron James and the Lakers when it comes to the services of Kyrie Irving won’t sit well, especially with how this season went. While not many believe Irving would dare reunite with James, the fact that Kobe Bryant has joined in on the recruiting makes this possibility more likely than many want to believe or even think.
Bryant has been mentoring Kyrie and also offered him this advice on his next move back in March, via Boston.com:
"“The next move for him is figuring out how to get the most out of the pieces around him. That’s really hard, right? And understanding how do you find an emotional connection with each player, figure out what their fears are, and help turn those fears into strengths. To do that, you have to put time in.”"
Could he do that under James once again?
He had a chance to figure it all out with the Celtics the past two seasons and ultimately failed. But, sometimes with failure comes growth. If he does join forces with LeBron James again, would that growth be realized? Or is it an acceptance that he will always be a Robin to someone’s Batman.
In all, if he does go to L.A. and the Lakers find that third superstar, it not only spells down for the Golden State Warriors, but the Boston Celtics will have to go through that super team in hopes of winning a championship anytime soon.
A New York state of mind
The New York Knicks have somehow slipped out of the favorites position to land Kyrie Irving, but it may just be where he ends up.
It all does depend on his good buddy Kevin Durant. If Durant goes and wants Kyrie sharing the stage with him in the bright lights of Madison Square Garden, it will happen.
If Durant has a change of heart and mind and ends up somewhere else, it’s highly unlikely Irving will take his talents to the Big Apple unless the Knicks blow the New Orleans Pelicans away with an offer and obtain Anthony Davis.
In a dream scenario, all three super stars will end up with the Knicks, which gives Danny Ainge yet another huge obstacle to overcome at the top of the Eastern Conference. While this particular rumor has been swirling since before the NBA All-Star break, it would still be surprising if it all played out giving the latest odds of where Kyrie Irving will end up.
In summary, all rumors indicate that we shouldn’t RSVP to a long-term marriage between the Boston Celtics and Kyrie Irving. One of them is breaking off the engagement. What the NBA world will be left with is which one broke up with who first.
That back-and-fourth through the media will be fun. Especially if Terry Rozier ends up the starting point guard with…the Celtics.