Nov 8, 2018; Phoenix, AZ, USA; Boston Celtics guard Kyrie Irving (11) dribbles the ball up the court in the first half against the Phoenix Suns at Talking Stick Resort Arena. Mandatory Credit: Jennifer Stewart-USA TODAY Sports
It won’t take Kyrie Irving too long to move on from the Celtics.
In fact, Irving already has a meeting with the Nets scheduled for Sunday, and with both parties ‘motivated to move quickly’ on a four-year, $141 million contract, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.
Free agent Kyrie Irving is meeting with the Brooklyn Nets in New York on Sunday and both sides are motivated to move quickly toward reaching a 4-year, $141M deal, league sources tell ESPN.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) June 29, 2019
This is shocking to, well, uh, just about no one.
Rumors of Irving returning to New York — be it to play for the Knicks or Nets — have run rampant since the start of last summer. They became echoing upon Irving’s trying second season in Boston, and seemed inevitable upon Irving’s Instagram-heavy return to New York following the conclusion of a disappointing C’s season that ended in the second round.
It will be interesting to see who, if anyone, Irving can now recruit to Brooklyn.
Especially in the wake of the report that Kevin Durant and Kawhi Leonard have talked about teaming up together — likely with the Knicks or the Clippers, two teams with open max contract slots — as well as the rumors tying Jimmy Butler to the Miami Heat and the Houston Rockets (Butler would likely land with the Rockets through a sign-and-trade).
Irving, traded to Boston in a five-piece return headlined by Isaiah Thomas, spent two seasons in Boston, averaging 24.1 points and 6.1 assists in 127 total games with the Green.