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Believe it or not, itâs only been a year and a few months since Kyrie Irving was traded from the Cleveland Cavaliers to the Boston Celtics. It seems like heâs been there for quite awhile now, doesnât it? In a few more months, Irving can opt out of his current contract with the Celtics and be a free agent, giving him the opportunity to exercise his right to decide where he should go.
Though it will take awhile before Irving makes that decision, itâs not too early to speculate on the future free agent destination of one of the best ball-handlers in the Association.
In the offseason, as noted by Boston.comâs Mark Dunphy, Irving will be eligible to sign a five-year deal worth $188 million if he opts to stay in Boston. If he decides to go elsewhere, he can only sign a max deal amounting to $139 million for four years. But as his former teammate with the Cavs, LeBron James, has shown when he signed with the Los Angeles Lakers for less, money isnât everything.
The most likely teams that Irving will want to play for are the New York Knicks, Brooklyn Nets and, if he decides to stay, the Celtics.
Letâs check out three teams which are dark horse candidates at landing Irving next season.
3. Chicago Bulls
A report from the Chicago Sun Timesâ Joe Cowley had Irving and Jimmy Butler wanting to team up to take over the Eastern Conference in 2019 now that James is playing in the West.
Of course, this all just a rumor for now unless such a conversation between Irving and Butler really happened and they decide to push through with the pairing.
But this supposed discussion happened way before Butler was traded from the Minnesota Timberwolves to the Philadelphia 76ers this season. If Butler feels like he can âtake overâ the East while wearing a Sixers uniform, Irving may not join him there but instead opt to âdominateâ the East while playing for another team.
That team could be the Bulls, who have the chance to pair him with Zach LaVine, one of this seasonâs Most Improved Player candidates. There are plenty of available free agents on the market that could be an interesting fit in Chicago such as Kevin Durant, Klay Thompson, and DeMarcus Cousins from the Warriors as well as the Toronto Raptorsâ Kawhi Leonard and the Dallas Mavericksâ DeAndre Jordan. But Irving may be easier to sell on playing with the Bulls than any of those players because of his familiarity of playing in the Eastern Conference.
Irving may be interested in playing on a roster with a new co-star and a young team to lead to the playoffs. All of that has been said without mentioning Lauri Markkanen, the Bullsâ sophomore forward who turned heads last season with a mature game that belies his youth.
Should Irving want to play for a big market city with the chance to prove that heâs a leader, the Bulls would be the perfect fit.
2. Indiana Pacers
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In keeping with Irvingâs inclination to stay n the Eastern Conference, the Pacers could position themselves as one of the best dark horse candidates to land the man also known as Uncle Drew. Indiana was one of the surprise teams of last season, taking the favored Cavaliers all the way to a Game 7 in the first round of the 2018 NBA Playoffs.
Can you imagine what coach Nate McMillan could do with that tough and gritty bunch with Irving and All-Star Victor Oladipo leading the Pacers? The East better watch out! Very few guard tandems could match the firepower emanating from that backcourt. Irvingâs addition also would give Indiana a boost in credibility in attracting other superstars to join their cause. And even if they donât acquire another superstar to play alongside them, the growth of the team is such that they could be a team that could upset some of the best teams in the East.
If thereâs one team in the East that would be closer to championship contention after Irving signs on the dotted line, itâs the Pacers.
1. San Antonio Spurs
Last year, another team that Irving wanted to be traded to was the Spurs, but with all the changes on the roster since then, he may have changed his mind.
Then again, Irving respects Gregg Popovich and he could decide to go to the West just for the opportunity to be coached by one of the greatest basketball minds in league history. Who doesnât? If there is any coach who can bring out the best in any player, itâs Pop.
Irving has moments where he tries to take over a ball game too much. During these moments, the strong-willed guard needs someone like Popovich who is equally stubborn about getting his players to play the right way. He did the same with Tony Parker and he is the perfect coach to rein in someone like Irving.
Irving would elevate the Spurs back to title contention in the ultra-competitive Western Conference. They already have two All-Stars in shooting guard DeMar DeRozan and power forward LaMarcus Aldridge. With the uncertainty surrounding the Warriorsâ future and the instability of the Houston Rockets, the Spurs could propel themselves back to the top and be the best of the West with Irving in tow.
The 6-foot-2 point guard prefers to be in the East, it seems, but if there is a team in the West that can get him to move to the other conference, itâs the Spurs.
