The Boston Celtics made their way to the Eastern Conference Finals with both Kyrie Irving and Gordon Hayward sidelined to injury this past season. It was a tremendous performance from the young team, one that should set Boston up for years to come.
Though, as we’ve seen throughout the NBA world, nothing is a given. Championship windows close quickly. The unforeseen happens.
When it comes to the Celtics, that could include Irving himself leaving the team in free agency following the 2018-19 season. In fact, this one report suggests that the Celtics are worried that’s going to happen.
“I think they’re scared. I think they’re scared and should be scared to some degree of Kyrie Irving walking in 2019,” Yahoo! Sports NBA insider Chris Mannix said on his recent podcast. “I know he had a great year, but you know there are people in Cleveland that will tell you that the Knicks should be considered a real threat for Kyrie Irving.”
There have been some rumor swirling about that Boston might look to trade Irving this summer. Pure conjecture, but the fear of him leaving in free agency could have led to these reports.
It’s also important to note that Boston has two capable point guards in Marcus Smart and Terry Rozier behind Irving on the depth chart. The team will have to make contractual decisions on both here soon.
Irving, 26, missed 22 games in his first season with the Celtics due to a multitude of injuries. He would ultimately miss the team’s playoff run with a knee injury. The All-Star averaged 24.4 points on 49 percent shooting from the field. It’s in this that he would be a highly sought after figure on the trade block come July.