Woj On Irving Trade Talks: Celtics Monitoring, But Unclear How Aggressive They'll Get
BOSTON (CBS) -- As the Kyrie Irving trade watch continues, the Celtics continue to keep an eye on the situation.
But that doesn't mean they're ready to make Cleveland an offer they can't refuse. According to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski, Danny Ainge and company are monitoring the situation, but that could be as far as it goes.
From Wojnarowski on Friday morning:
Several suitors contend there are two teams with the best ability to make deals for Irving: the Suns and Boston Celtics. So far, the Suns are unwilling to include No. 4 overall pick Josh Jackson in a trade, league sources said. The Celtics are monitoring, but it's unclear how aggressive they'll get -- and how motivated the Cavaliers would be to make a deal with their fiercest conference rival.
It's hard to imagine the Celtics and Cavaliers getting together to help each other out, given Boston will likely be Cleveland's biggest competition in the Eastern Conference next season (especially if the Cavs are without Irving).
According to Wojnarowski, the San Antonio Spurs, LA Clippers, Minnesota Timberwolves, New York Knicks, Miami Heat and Suns have made offers to the Cavaliers for their All-Star point guard. He also reports that up to 20 teams have inquired about Irving, but those teams are the only ones to make legitimate trade proposals.
Irving, 25, reportedly demanded a trade from the Cavaliers during a meeting with team officials, eager to get out of the shadows of LeBron James and lead his own team. He averaged a career-high 25.2 points per game last season, and 25.9 points per game during Cleveland's postseason run.