Kyrie Irving Reportedly Prepared To Sign With Nets
By Matthew Geagan, CBS Boston
BOSTON (CBS) -- In the latest development in As Kyrie's World Turns, the soon-to-be free agent point guard is reportedly set to sign with the Brooklyn Nets.
The New Jersey native has long been connected to both the Nets and New York Knicks, though much of that was just speculation. But Irving's intent to sign with the Nets is now an actual report, courtesy of The Boston Herald's Steve Bulpett:
According to a source with ties to Roc Nation, the organization expected to become Irving's new representative, the All-Star point guard is prepared to sign with the Brooklyn Nets when he becomes a free agent next month. A separate league source told the Herald that his team (not the Celtics) has received the same information and is operating under the belief that Irving wants to join the Nets.
Word is that the Celtics, meanwhile, had not been given any definitive indication from Irving as of Thursday afternoon.
Irving did not pick up his player option with the Celtics for the 2019-20 season, which was expected, and will become an unrestricted free agent on June 30. The Celtics can offer Irving more money and an extra year, but it has long been speculated that he wants to play closer to home.
Nothing can become official with Irving until July, and he has shown a tendency to change his mind. He told Celtics season ticket holders back in October that he planned on re-signing with Boston this summer, but that has obviously changed after a tumultuous 2018-19 season. Irving had a great statistical season, averaging 23.8 points and a career-high 6.9 assists, but the Celtics finished as the No. 4 seed in the Eastern Conference and suffered an embarrassing playoff loss to the Milwaukee Bucks in the second round.
The Celtics acquired Irving two summers ago in a blockbuster trade with the Cleveland Cavaliers, but it's sounding like they'll be in the market for a new point guard this offseason.