Kyrie Irving has provided an update on his NBA future in a straightforward message to his fans as he complained about the noise surrounding free agency.
After beginning this season with the Brooklyn Nets, his turbulent stay in the Big Apple came to an end when he was traded to the Dallas Mavericks midway through the campaign. The Western Conference side finished the regular season in a disappointing 11th place, two games outside of the final Play-In spot.
Following the conclusion of the current campaign, Irving will become a free agent and is eligible for a four-year, $220.6 million deal this summer. Speculation regarding which team the start point guard will represent has been rampant, but during an Instagram Live chat, he outlined that his future has not yet been decided. "I’m a free agent this summer, but I am in no rush to make a decision," said Irving.
"The speculation around my name from all these individuals who be on TV and have these personalities, all these people that have platforms. When they speak on my name and they’re talking about potential teams that I’m going to, can you all please, respectfully, stop paying attention to that."
The 31-year-old then added: “I am in no rush to make a decision. I know what’s ahead of me for the rest of my career."
The team with the strongest links to acquiring the 2016 NBA champion is the Los Angeles Lakers and a possible reunion with LeBron James. The California-based team reportedly tried to sign the eight-time All-Star before he was traded to Dallas.
He has attended multiple Lakers playoff games at the Crypto.com Arena this year and has been supporting his former teammate as he pursued a fifth championship. There are sources around the league who believe the NBA’s all-time leading scorer is pushing for the Lakers to bring Irving to the franchise. The pair enjoyed a successful spell together at the Cleveland Cavaliers, which resulted in a championship in 2016.
Bleacher Report have suggested that James stating he is unsure if he will play on into next season is an early attempt to influence GM Rob Pelinka to chase the signing of Irving as a free agent. Following the Lakers’ elimination from the playoffs at the hands of the Denver Nuggets, James said he needed to consider his own future after completing his 20th season in the NBA.
"We'll see what happens going forward," James said. "I don't know. I don't know. I've got a lot to think about, to be honest, just for me personally going forward with the game of basketball."
