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What Is Kyrie Irving's Future in Boston?

With a tough season and chemistry issues, is Kyrie Irving playing his final season with the Celtics?

By William RicksPublished 5 years ago 3 min read
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Kyrie Irving began the NBA season telling the Boston fans he'd love to re-sign with them if they'd have them. Fast forward to around the trade deadline and the all-star break, he somewhat backtracked on that statement, saying, "Ask me July 1," about his impending free agency. Now with a Boston team that is struggling in the season's final stretch, Kyrie Irving's future in Boston has become uncertain. Will he stay or will he go?

Out the Door

Kyrie Irving's time in Boston hasn't been everything people, and maybe even himself would've hoped it to be. After a great regular season in 2017, a knee injury caused him to miss the playoffs that year. The emergence of Terry Rozier, Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown, and the return of Gordon Hayward from that horrific ankle injury (watching it in real time sent chills down my spine), many thought the Celtics would have a great season this year. Well, that hasn't panned out to plan, as Boston has yet to find their groove in the season, sitting in fifth place in the Eastern Conference.

Their recent struggles have been even more perplexing, as they were dominated by the Raptors, beaten by the Bulls, and fell flat against the Trailblazers. Kyrie Irving's comments about the team seem like he is disconnected from the team, and that is one of the Celtics' main issues.

This disconnect the Celtics have as a team might be the reason Kyrie decides to leave. The Celtics have a lot of depth, almost too much depth. Some players try to do too much, something that Kyrie has eluded to in an interview with Rachel Nichols on "The Jump."

You can see it in Kyrie's tone when he talks and his body language that he seems ready to move on from the Celtics (that's just my opinion). Especially after these recent losses, it looks even more apparent. The Boston experiment seems like it hasn't worked out for Irving, but there still is enough time in the season for the Celtics to get things together to possibly change his mind

Where would he go?

If Kyrie Irving does decide to leave, where would he take his talents to? He is expecting a max contract, so any team interested would have to be willing to dish out the bread (that's slang for money, if you didn't know) for his services. He would probably want to play for a team that is already a contender, or his presence would boost them into title contention. With all that being said, there are a few teams that come to mind.

The New York Knickerbockers (that's their actual name if you didn't know) are one of the teams that seem to have Kyrie Irving on the radar. After trading away Kristaps Porzingis, the Knicks will have a projected $75 million in cap space. That would be enough to sign Kyrie Irving, along with another max contract caliber player. With Kyrie's ties to the New York area, this seems like the most logical spot for Kyrie to land in the summer. He could also persuade one of his superstar friends (Kevin Durant most likely) to join him in New York. Imagining Kyrie in a Knick uniform doesn't seem that off, and he is the piece that could help the Knicks get back to NBA relevancy

The other New York team, the Brooklyn Nets are also a possible destination for Irving. Now, this scenario seems a little more uncertain, as the Nets would need to make some big decisions in order to create cap space for Kyrie. Another possible spot could be the L.A. Lakers, reuniting Kyrie and Bron would seem like the storybook ending after they hashed things out over a phone call Irving made to James earlier in the season. Kyrie would also make the Lakers a bonafide contender, giving them a shot maker along with his playmaking ability.

Danny Ainge called Irving and the Celtics' situation an "engagement" earlier in the season. It seems like that engagement is on the verge of falling apart, and Kyrie could find a new partner in the offseason. Maybe if the Celtics can turn things around, it will be enough to convince the all-star guard to stay. Or maybe the writing is already on the wall, and Kyrie's days in Boston are numbered. No matter what happens in the offseason, Kyrie's main focus is getting the Celtics back on track, and being the leader he so desperately wanted to be.

basketball
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About the Creator

William Ricks

I am a journalist who primarily writes about sports, but I also write about video games and music. I've written for multiple new organizations and have had success doing that. I love to inject facts and fun into my writing. I hope you enjoy

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