Star Boston Celtics point guard Kyrie Irving has officially declined his player option and is set to become a free agent once NBA free agency begins. Irving is expected to draw interest from multiple different teams this offseason. Being the superstar that he is, Irving is also expected to receive a max contract this offseason which takes many teams out of the running. So which of the remaining teams are the best fit for Irving? Where will he play next season? Let’s break it all down below:
NBA Free Agency: Best Landing Spots for Kyrie Irving
Brooklyn Nets
A few months ago nobody even gave a thought about the Brooklyn Nets being a team that would go after big-name free agents. However, after trading Allen Crabbe to the Atlanta Hawks just weeks ago, they have roughly 68 million in cap space. Since that trade Irving has expressed great interest in signing with the Nets. If Irving does indeed sign here he won’t be starting from ground zero. The Nets already had a talented roster last season, finishing with the sixth seed in the East. With cap space, Irving wouldn’t have to be the only star on the team as well. The Nets would have just enough room to sign another max free agent and immediately make this team a contender. With the interest Irving has expressed and the possibility of forming a super team in just one season, Irving to the Nets may already be a lock.
New York Knicks
The New York Knicks are another team that has expressed great interest in signing Irving this offseason. Before he expressed interest in the Nets, the Knicks were the team many predicted he would go to. The big pitch for him to come here is that they have room for two max free agents, and it is a big market city. The overall market in New York gives the team the potential to add more high-end talent as opposed to many other teams in the league. The Knicks also hold the third overall pick in the 2019 draft and will likely take R.J. Barret. The potential to have Irving, Barrett, and another max free agent could persuade Irving to sign with the Knicks. The downside to signing with the Knicks is that he would be joining a team that finished with the worst record in the league last season.
Los Angeles Lakers
This one is definitely a longshot, but don’t rule it out. After trading for Anthony Davis the Los Angeles Lakers still have about 24 million dollars in cap space. Irving would need to take a significant pay cut in order to sign here, but he could be willing to do so for a chance at a title. If Irving opted to sign he would complete a superteam filled with players such as LeBron James, Anthony Davis, and Kyle Kuzma. If Irving is serious about winning a title soon, this may just be his best bet. This decision would not come without its share of negatives. He would be sacrificing roughly nine million dollars per season as he would need to take a pay cut to sign here. The depth would also be very weak compared to other teams as they would have very little cap space.
Irving to the Nets may already be a lock as all signs point to him going there. However, we don’t really know what he is going to choose to do. The Knicks and Lakers both have greater markets and could sway his decision. His signing is going to be one of the most exciting things to watch once NBA free agency begins. Nobody really knows where he is going to sign, but wherever he goes it has the potential to shake up the entire NBA.
Main image credit:
Embed from Getty Images
