Earlier this month, there have been rumors that swirled around the prospect of Kyrie Irving leaving the Boston Celtics next year, when the point guard can opt out of his current contract. However, the Celtics do not seem to be that much bothered about it, according to Zach Lowe of ESPN.

Boston, for what it's worth, is confident it can retain Kyrie Irving next summer, despite persistent rumblings he might consider leaving for one of the New York teams, per league sources.

Irving was traded to Boston last year by the Cleveland Cavaliers for Isaiah Thomas, Jae Crowder, Ante Zizic, and a pair of draft picks — one of which was already used by the Cavs to get Collin Sexton — which was a move that gave the point guard the promise of being the man of his own team after spending years in the shadow of LeBron James in Cleveland. Irving was also recently asked about rumors of him someday heading to the Big Apple and that he neither denied nor affirmed any of them did not help in putting those speculations to rest.

Throw in the report that the Celtics are more willing to cut Irving loose than Jayson Tatum in a still-hypothetical trade scenario with the San Antonio Spurs for Kawhi Leonard and one could have a reason to believe that the All-Star point guard is feeling a little alienated already in Beantown.

Nevertheless, Kyrie Irving has professed his commitment to the Celtics next season when Boston is expected to be a bigger threat to win the Eastern Conference after nearly doing it this year.