Despite rumors regarding superstar point guard Kyrie Irving looking to play elsewhere next season, the Boston Celtics are reportedly still remaining positive about re-signing the 26-year-old this summer.
According to ESPN's Zach Lowe, Boston remains steadfast in its optimism regardless of several developments within the past week which might have made them believe otherwise:
Boston, for its part, remains cautiously optimistic about keeping Irving, though the events of the past week — Irving's comments, New York opening up a second maximum salary slot — have shaken them. But Boston is always confident. That is Ainge's default mindset.
Irving arrived in Boston in 2017 after the former Rookie of the Year winner forced a move away from the Cleveland Cavaliers. His current deal extends to the 2019-2020 season, but it so happens that he will have a player option for next season. This means that if he decides to do so, he could walk away from the C's this summer to sign with another team.
Lowe also noted that the rest of the league may not share the same level of optimism held by Celtics president Danny Ainge. Lowe believes that Boston's performance in the postseason will likely be the biggest factor in Irving's impending decision:
The league at large is much less confident, but it is hard to say who knows what, and with what level of reliability. The postseason could be really telling for so many of this summer's headliner free agents.
Kyrie Irving has not had the best of starts to the new year, with the five-time All-Star already missing seven games due to various injuries. His most recent absence was on Tuesday against his former team, the Cavs, as he was nursing a left hip strain. Irving's next chance to take the court will be on Thursday, as the Celtics take on LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers.
