five potential landing spots for Irving

https://hoopshype.com/2019/05/09/kyrie-irving-free-agency-rumors-lakers-knicks-celtics-nets-clippers/


By: Frank Urbina | May 9, 2019

It was a tumultuous season for the Boston Celtics in 2018-19, one that ended with a whiff and a thud, and that may not apply to a single player more than it does to Kyrie Irving.

The six-time All-Star point guard put up huge numbers, to be sure, averaging 23.8 points, 5.0 rebounds and 6.9 assists per contest on tidy 48.7/40.1/87.3 shooting splits for the campaign.

But when things got bad for the Celtics at different points throughout the season, including near the end of their brief playoff run, Irving was never able to step up, not with his on-court performance nor with his off-court leadership.

If anything, Irving proved to get even more difficult when faced with adversity this season…


Tim Bontemps

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Kyrie on his shooting woes (19-62 the past three games): “Who cares? I’m a basketball player. Prepare the right way. ... The expectations on me are going to by sky high ... for me, the 22 shots? I should’ve shot 30.“

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…instead of becoming a true leader for Boston.

Nevertheless, not many players league-wide can match Irving’s finishing prowess near the rim, his ability to knock down difficult shots in short-clock situations or his wizardry as a ball-handler.

And because of that, teams will still be lining up to offer him a max contract this summer despite some of the optics regarding his 2018-19 season.

Below, we break down five potential free-agent destinations for the enigmatic Irving.


LOS ANGELES LAKERS
The Los Angeles Lakers lack a second surefire star to place alongside LeBron James, and have a lot of cap space to use this summer.

What’s more, although their tenure together ended in a pretty ugly – and public – fashion, James and Irving seemed to mend fences during the season after a phone call which was placed to the former by the latter, as reported on by The Athletic.

And although many believe the Lakers will use their cap space to try and acquire Anthony Davis’ max contract via trade this offseason, that doesn’t necessarily mean they’ll just be done there. At least that’s what New York Times reporter Marc Stein was hearing a few months ago:

“There are some people around the league who watched the events of last week when Kyrie said what he said and have watched all month as Kyrie and LeBron have seemingly lobbed Valentine’s back and forth to each other about how much they miss each other. Now, there is a sense that what if the Lakers could land Anthony Davis AND Kyrie? And they’re the ones who steal Kyrie Irving away from the Celtics and not the Knicks … There are people who believe that is the grand Laker plan.'”

A Big Three featuring James, Irving and Davis may sound like a piece of Laker fan-fiction, but it wouldn’t take that much financial maneuvering, especially if Lonzo Ball and Brandon Ingram are included in the deal for Davis.

At the same time, though, this seems more like hopeful thinking for the Lakers, whose front office looks a good bit different today than it did when Stein discussed those plans, than anything else.

Regardless, who knows? Maybe Irving realizes things were better when he and LeBron shared the floor together. Perhaps the allure of joining the league’s biggest market is too much to deny. Maybe the league’s next super team featuring Davis, James and Irving really is forming.

Or maybe those rumors were hogwash all along and Irving won’t even grant the Lakers a free-agent meeting. Either way, we’ll learn more over the comings weeks as rumor season starts to heat up again.


LOS ANGELES CLIPPERS
There hasn’t been anything tying Irving to the Los Angeles Clippers in free agency this offseason.

Nevertheless, we decided to include them on this list anyway because they’re the far more stable of the two L.A. franchises, because they’re set to have over $52 million in cap space this offseason and could open up even more by trading Danilo Gallinari, enough to have two max slots, and because the team’s brass appears confident in their chances of landing a big fish this summer.

As far as who the Clippers could go after to pair with Irving, the big name they have been heavily connected to heading into the offseason is Kawhi Leonard. According to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, Leonard, who is absolutely tearing it up these playoffs, will likely decide between re-signing with the Toronto Raptors or joining the black-blue-and-white Los Angeles franchise.

A tandem of Leonard and Irving would be deadly together, one running the duties of lead ball-handler, the other terrorizing opponents on the wing, and both with the ability to knock down triples and play off of each other. Those two, along with the team’s outstanding young core – including Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Landry Shamet – would be instantly enough to transform the Clippers from plucky upstarts to one of the West’s elite teams.

Let’s see if the buzz the Clippers have heading into the summer actually carries over into free agency, and if they can use it to get into the Irving sweepstakes.


BROOKLYN NETS
Another team in a very similar position to the Clippers heading into the offseason – i.e., the second-most popular team in a huge market, but the far more stable of the franchises in that city – are the Brooklyn Nets, who will also enough room to add a max contract to their books this summer.

According to one gambling outlet, Brooklyn actually has the highest odds, as of May 7, to land Irving in the offseason:

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Bleacher Report

@BleacherReport
The Nets have the best odds to land Kyrie

(via @br_betting)

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Whether that’s founded in reports from the New York Daily News…

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NY Daily News Sports

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One NBA source tells @SBondyNYDN that Kyrie Irving prefers the Nets to the Knicks: https://trib.al/vvqKdWk

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…or inside info coming out of Vegas, we can’t be sure. But it’s definitely noteworthy that the Nets have some buzz in the Irving race, when many thought they’d play second-fiddle to the team coming up next on our list in the sweepstakes.

Irving would give Brooklyn a proven All-Star, and a nasty complement to D’Angelo Russell, their current lead ball-handler. Even if Russell walks in free agency this summer, though, that, along with dumping Allen Crabbe’s contract, would give the Nets enough room to chase another max-level player to pair with Irving.

Perhaps landing Irving could even make a certain superstar small forward out west consider Brooklyn in free agency, and give the Nets an elite 1-2 punch.

That would complete what has been an insane turnaround for a franchise so lambasted following the Paul Pierce/Kevin Garnett trade that should have sank them for longer than it did.


NEW YORK KNICKS
The one team that has been consistently mentioned as the likeliest outside free-agent suitor for Irving have been the New York Knicks. Makes sense, too, as the 27-year-old grew up in New Jersey, so the Knicks are (sort of) the hometown team in his eyes, and, more importantly, New York will have over $70 million to spend in free agency this offseason – enough for two max players.

The Knicks’ plan all along has been to convince Irving to join Kevin Durant in signing with them. That may seem pretty hopeful, but various league execs believe it’s going to happen. Consider the following, from The Athletic’s Frank Isola:

“The belief is that Durant will only join the Knicks if another high-level free agent agrees to sign with the Knicks as well. The most likely candidate is the Celtics’ Kyrie Irving, who coincidentally won a championship in Cleveland as Robin to LeBron’s Batman. He could fill that same role at MSG. So sure are some executives and player agents of a Durant-Irving pairing in New York that one agent told The Athletic that Durant and Irving are debating on who will sign first.”

After nearly 50 years without a championship and nearly two decades without even contending for a title, despite being in one of the sport’s biggest markets, landing Irving and Durant would put the Knicks on another plane entirely – from being an annual laughingstock to being one of the league’s elite teams.

It’ll be fascinating to find out if they can close the deal and pull off the two franchise-changing heists.


BOSTON CELTICS
Of course, all this speculation might be for naught and Irving could just choose to re-sign with the Celtics on July 1. It probably won’t be that drama-free of a process, but it could happen.

Irving didn’t give much indication of which way he’s leaning in the press conference following Boston’s playoff elimination, but he did say the following:


Jared Weiss

@JaredWeissNBA
Kyrie at tail end of multi-part question that ended with “Is Boston in consideration for you this offseason”:

"For me, it’s just moving on to the next thing and seeing where that ends up."

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That might be interpreted as a negative for the Celtics, but Irving followed that up by saying he was looking forward to heading “home” to Boston to decompress, so really, it’s impossible to know what he’s actually thinking right now.

Even if Irving is thinking of hightailing it to New York or wherever else, though, the Celtics have plenty of time to change his mind.

One way they may try to do so is by putting on the full-court press to complete a trade for Anthony Davis ahead of free agency, and let Irving see that he’ll A) have a superstar-level teammate again, and B) be able to settle back into the second-fiddle role that he dominated during his time with the Cleveland Cavaliers.

No matter what, there’s a good chance the Celtics of 2019-20 look far different from the 2018-19 version that disappointed so mightily in the playoffs. Whether that means we’ll see an improved version or a worse one, however, we won’t know for another few months.

Tense times are ahead for Boston.

You can follow Frank Urbina on Twitter: @FrankUrbina_.

I wonder if Irving even knows what he wants to do.

Several of the swirling rumors make little sense to me. Two that make the least sense are LA to pair with James, and being part of a Davis led roster in Boston.

I can't see him going to LA. to be a second to James again. I think apologizing to James was more about Kyrie trying to rescue his image and look like a better man than seeking a future connection. Irving is also smart enough to see the mess in LA and avoid it.

Similar reasoning to a Davis and Irving pairing in Boston. That makes little sense to me for the Celtics or Irving. Like with James, why would Kyrie want to instantly be in the supporting role? For Boston, I don't think there will be a pursuit of Davis with Irving here. With Irving, and most of the current roster intact, you simply need a couple of solid, non-superstar bigs and a clear pecking order to get the team chemistry in balance. Maybe with Irving gone you need Davis to bolster overall team talent; stronger forward play to offset weaker guards. Also, to bring Irving and Davis together, the cost would be so high, you would have Irving and Davis and then a sharp drop-off. Makes no sense to me. Keep Irving and arguably you change the coach to a stronger management type, capable of checking a massive ego or two. Although Stevens has done nothing to warrant firing.

The Knicks, at least, make some sense. They've got the money, and they're in a city with the national media focus that only LA can rival. If Durant is truly part of the deal, his personal style leaves Kyrie and Kyrie's ego as leading men, unlike James or Davis' on and off-court personas.

As I said at the outset, however, failing avoidance of being second man in LA and Boston, or going to NY as a centerpiece, I'm not sure even Irving knows what comes next.

my take on this is that I think whichever team trades for Anthony Davis will have the inside shot at signing Irving.


so IF I am correct when I say that Irving will end up where Anthony Davis does next season, next I will break down possible trades for NO to ponder (since they really control both players).

first Anthony Davis has a $27M salary WITH a 15% trade kicker. I will assume he passes on the trade kicker to get a deal done. So each team below will have to trade back a minimum of 80% of that salary ( $21.7M) OR have cap space to absorb any difference.


Lakers possible trade:

L. Ball- $8.7M
B. Ingram- $7.2M
K. Kuzma- $1.9M
#11 pick in the draft- $3.3M
Total sent back- $21.1M

Lakers would have to clear about $6M in cap space to get the deal done.

They are currently over the cap by $16M with the rookies added now. Renouncing Pope, Muscala, Rondo and Stephenson will clear $41M in cap space leaving them a net cap space of $25M. SO to add Irving them would require him to take less than a max deal. Seems like a long shot to me,


Knicks possible Trade:

#1 draft pick- $8.1M
K. Knox- $4.4M
F. Ntilikina- $4.8M

Total sent back in the trade- $17.3M

The Knicks are right now UNDER the cap by $7.6M giving them almost enough space to absorb Davis' salary alone. Cutting  L .Thomas frees up another $6.5M

so after those moves NY will still be at least $4M UNDER the cap. Renouncing D. JOrdan and E. Mudiay frees up over $40M in cap space. Enough to sign Irving to a new max deal.

Brooklyn Nets possible trade:

S. Dinwiddie- $10.6M
J. Harris- $7.6M
J. Allen- $2.3M
#17 pick- $2.4

Total sent back- $22.9M
This meets the cap rules for a trade.

the Nets would then be about $27M OVER the cap. so to free up space to sign Irving they could renounce D. Carroll, D. Russell and J,. Dudley freeing up $58.4M in space. giving them about $31M for signing Irving. E. Davis could also be renounced freeing another $5M.


The Clippers deal:

D. Gallinari- $22.6M
S. Alexander- $3.9M
L. Shamet- $2M
no first this year

total sent back- $28.5M and meets the cap rules.

Clippers would about $12M OVER the cap after that trade. they can renounce W. Chandler, J. Green, G, Temple feeing up about $46 in cap holds This leaves them around $34M in cap space to sign Irving.



Celtics trade:

M. Smart- $12.5M
J. Tatum- $7.8M
R. Willams- $1.9M
#14 pick- $2.8M

Grizzlies future first sent with Davis' assurance he will sign long term deal.

total sent back- $25M , this meets cap rules. Since we have Irving Bird rights, we do not need cap space to re-sign him

ANOTHER TRADE that passes muster:

Tatum- $7.8M
Brown- $6.5M
Williams- $1.9M
Yabusele- $3.1M
#14 pick- $2.8M

total sent back- $22.1M . this also meets the cap rules for a trade.

keep in mind each team can re-sign players for way below their cap holds instead or renouncing. SO lets say a player has a cap hold of $20M and signs a one year deal at $2M. That teams gets a $18M cap savings in that case.

so which team can offer the best deal?

to me its Boston and the Knicks (assuming they end up with the top over pick in the years draft).

links here

https://www.spotrac.com/nba/boston-celtics/cap/2019/

http://www.nbadraftroom.com/p/2019-nba-mock-draft.html

https://basketball.realgm.com/nba/info/rookie_scale/2020

Sorry to say this, but Kyrie can make $50M more by signing with the Celts than anywhere else. Danny holds the cards.

worcester wrote:Sorry to say this, but Kyrie can make $50M more by signing with the Celts than anywhere else. Danny holds the cards.

True, but . . .

Utah held those same cards with Gordon Hayward and he still left there to come here, so it does happen. Sometimes the heart overrules the brain.

Something that I have not read much is about media coverage. If Kyrie didn't like how the local Boston media treated him in his two years here, good luck with the media in New York and LA.

worcester wrote:Sorry to say this, but Kyrie can make $50M more by signing with the Celts than anywhere else. Danny holds the cards.

very true...but we have seen other players take lees to go where they want.

but with Irving injury history one would think the extra year of guaranteed money would be something to think long and hard about.

Hope he goes away....soon

As I am not a fan of Mr. Irving, I hope that he lands just about anywhere else, and I care less about whatever money he makes. After this season he may find that his value has diminished everywhere around the league.

Personally, I think the over analysis on Irving is pretty old. I hope he stays, but if he leaves, I think the team will be okay.

KJ

Little guards should know their limitations....

That was historic bad play that the injury prone prima Donna displayed last 4 games....he obviously froze Brad out.

Have to imagine that Danny, Wyc and the ownership group are thinking about this in a big picture way. The surprising amount of Celtics fans, here and on other sites, who are adamant they want him gone must make them pause and question what five more years of Kyrie may mean to the bottom line. Ticket sales, advertising, merchandise may all decline if they bring him back.

I could be off on this as I simply can’t stand listening to anything he says, and no longer enjoy watching the team when he plays. Others who want him gone may not feel as strongly as I do, so perhaps the negative fallout of resigning him is minimal.

If I was Wyc and Co. though I’d try to get a good read on how Celtics fans will react before offering him the max.

Froze Brad out intentionally?

KJ

bobc33 wrote:Have to imagine that Danny, Wyc and the ownership group are thinking about this in a big picture way.  The surprising amount of Celtics fans, here and on other sites, who are adamant they want him gone must make them pause and question what five more years of Kyrie may mean to the bottom line.  Ticket sales, advertising, merchandise may all decline if they bring him back.

I could be off on this as I simply can’t stand listening to anything he says, and no longer enjoy watching the team when he plays.  Others who want him gone may not feel as strongly as I do, so perhaps the negative fallout of resigning him is minimal.

If I was Wyc and Co. though I’d try to get a good read on how Celtics fans will react before offering him the max.

winning fixes everything...but I agree that Irving has left a bad taste in the mouth of most Celtic fans.

Or maybe we could face the fact that we simply weren't elite this season. Kyrie had his missteps but theres a lot of blame to go around, too.

KJ

k_j_88 wrote:Froze Brad out intentionally?

KJ

Did you see clips of him arguing/yelling at Brad during time outs? He takes bad shots on a whim over and over, bad decisions over and over, for four games in a row, is that the BS system...???? His defense was pretty non existent too.