NBA Rumors: Kyrie Irving’s Former Coach Predicts All-Star Point Guard’s Next Landing Spot
Boston Celtics point guard Kyrie Irving is expected to be one of the most sought-after superstars in the 2019 NBA free agency. After committing to re-sign with the Celtics before the start of the 2018-19 NBA season, Irving had a change of heart and already wants to keep all his options open next summer. In the past months, Irving has been linked to several NBA teams who could open up enough salary cap space for a max contract in the 2019 NBA offseason.
These include the New York Knicks, Los Angeles Clippers, Los Angeles Lakers, and the Brooklyn Nets. Like the majority of rumors and speculations, Kyrie Irving’s high school coach, Kevin Boyle, said in a recent interview with Ian Begley of SportsNet New York that the All-Star point guard will be heading to the Knicks next July.
“I think there’s a good chance in my opinion that Kyrie ends up there,” Boyle said, stressing that he was speaking as a fan and not as someone who had inside information on Irving’s plans. “In my gut, I would think that would work best for him and I would think that (the Knicks) have a really strong chance of that happening. But I have not spoken directly to him and I don’t know that to be a fact.”
Morning sports update: NBA insider thinks Kyrie Irving will return to the Celtics and is ‘playing all of you guys right now’ https://t.co/cCbKJzS8aQ pic.twitter.com/e2GwZrza8z
— Boston.com Celtics News (@BDCCeltics) May 17, 2019
It may only be an opinion of Coach Kevin Boyle, but it is definitely not a surprise if Kyrie Irving really decides to leave the Celtics for the Knicks in the 2019 NBA free agency. The Knicks are not in any way a better team than the Celtics right now, but they have the opportunity to build a roster that can legitimately contend for the NBA championship title next summer. After giving Irving a max contract, the Knicks will still have enough salary cap space to chase another big name on the open market. Aside from Irving, Golden State Warriors small forward Kevin Durant is also on the top of the list of the Knicks’ free-agent targets.
The successful acquisition of Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving will undeniably turn the Knicks from one of the worst teams in the league to a legitimate playoff contender in the Eastern Conference. However, the Knicks’ offseason won’t only focus on targeting superstars on the free agency market. The Knicks have a plethora of trade assets to engage in a blockbuster deal and could target Anthony Davis of the New Orleans Pelicans next summer.
