Kyrie Irving is one of this summer’s biggest free agents, and his landing spot may very well tip the balance of power in the NBA. So when Irving was spotted sitting courtside at a Lakers playoff game this week, it led to endless speculation about his impending free-agent decision.
On Wednesday, however, Irving challenged all the narratives by speaking to the fans directly. During a short Instagram Live session after L.A.’s elimination in Game 4, Irving warned the fans to stop drawing conclusions about his NBA future.
“Stop mentioning me on Twitter. All y’all fan bases, stop mentioning me, please! It is still the Conference Finals…Can you please leave me the f**k out of this… Can I just be with my family in peace? Y’all got people at my dinner table discussing what my free agency plans are. Y’all think it’s funny but please stop that. I see all y’all mentions, I said it… I’m just excited as y’all are. But you gotta chill…I love y’all.”
Kyrie Irving on free agency: “Stop mentioning me on Twitter. All y’all fan bases. It is still the…Conference Finals…Can you please leave me the f**k out of this…Y’all got people at my dinner table discussing what my free agency plans are 😂…I see all y’all mentions, I said… pic.twitter.com/PRzxIjWDtX
— New York Basketball (@NBA_NewYork) May 24, 2023
Irving started the 2022-23 season as a member of the Brooklyn Nets, and he was voted as an All-Star starter by the fans before the big trade to Dallas. Irving played well for the Mavericks individually, but the team never got right, and their failure to make the play-in has many experts wondering if Irving will look to sign somewhere else this summer.
For a while, the Irving news had finally simmered down until the Lakers’ playoff loss generated discussions once again.
What’s Next For Irving After Complicated Season?
Obviously, Kyrie is focused on family right now, and it’s clear that he wants to avoid any offseason contract talk until the time for negotiation begins this summer. Still, it’s likely that Kyrie has already planned his next move, and his actions over the next few weeks may impact what kind of offers he will receive in July.
“I also think that both of them, Kyrie showing up at Laker games, James Harden being rumored to be attached to the Rockets, I still suspect that all of that is just one giant leverage play,” Windhorst said on The Hoop Collective. “That, what James Harden really wants is to elicit the biggest offer out of the Sixers even if it isn’t a max… And I think that Kyrie could be doing the exact same thing.”
Of course, we have to let Kyrie speak for himself when it comes to his basketball future, but it’s going to be tough for fans not to think about his decision and how it might impact their teams.
Love him or hate him, Kyrie can still play, and he may be the most talented player available this offseason.
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