All-Star guard Kyrie Irving decided to leave Boston Celtics this summer and sign with the Brooklyn Nets as a free agent alongside fellow superstar Kevin Durant. Although unexpected to some, it turns out that Irving’s decision didn’t come as a complete surprise for Celtics.

During an introductory press conference for Celtic’s free-agent signings Kemba Walker and Enes Kanter, team’s general manager Danny Ainge admitted that he realized during the second part of the season that Irving might leave Boston.

“I think I had a pretty good idea in March or April,” – Ainge told reporters. “Not for sure, though. Not certain. But I was obviously thinking about moving in a different direction at that point. Thinking of the different options.”

While Ainge realized he is losing his superstar in March, the players around the NBA knew it even before that as it turns out. New York Knicks’ Bobby Portis recently told The Athletic that he and other players knew that Irving and Durant will go to Brooklyn in February.

“I knew what was gonna happen in February,” – said Portis. “We all knew that (Durant and Kyrie Irving would go to Brooklyn). Everybody knew that. I just don’t think the media knew that. Us basketball players, we all knew that.”

Kyrie Irving left Boston Celtics after spending two seasons with the organization. During that time he made two All-Star appearances while averaging 24.1 points, 4.4 rebounds, and 6.0 assists per game.

The post Celtics’ GM Danny Ainge Realized “in March or April” That Kyrie Irving Might Leave appeared first on SportzBonanza.

Boston Celtics’ All-Star guard Kyrie Irving is hitting the open market this summer. According to Shams Charania of The Athletic, Irving will opt out of his current contract with the Celtics and pass on his $21.3 million player option.

Irving rejecting the option doesn’t automatically mean he will leave Boston, however. He is eligible for max extension, which can bring him $33 million in 2019/20, so becoming a free agent makes sense from a financial standpoint.

Although Kyrie Irving stated on numerous occasions in the past that he will stay with the Celtics past this season, the sources around the league say different. Irving is reportedly unhappy in Boston and would welcome the change of scenery with New York Knicks and Brooklyn Nets being the favorites to land him.

The thing that will certainly influence Irving’s decision is the recent injury of Golden State Warriors’ Kevin Durant. The duo reportedly wanted to team up in New York, and form a championship contender. Still, now that Durant tore his ACL and will miss the entire season, he might opt to stay in Golden State and choose long-term security. In this case, Irving might rethink his strategy and look for other teams that could provide him a chance to win another championship.

Irving averaged 23.8 points, 5.0 rebounds, 6.9 assists and 1.5 steals this season.

The post Kyrie Irving to Opt Out of His Contract with Celtics appeared first on SportzBonanza.

Could Kyrie Irving and LeBron James be reunited just two years after their shocking breakup? Well, as shocking as this might sound, it looks like the duo, which won the NBA title as members of Cleveland Cavaliers, might have another run together with Los Angeles Lakers.

Irving is an unrestricted free agent this summer, and while it seemed he would stay with the Boston Celtics just a few months ago, now the All-Star point guard is considering all options considering his future. According to ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith, the 27-year-old, who is already heavily linked with joining the New York Knick, will also grant the Lakers a free agent interview in the summer.

“I’m told Kyrie Irving will grant the Lakers an interview this offseason, this summer,” – said Smith during his radio show. “The Lakers will have an opportunity to get Kyrie Irving to come to L.A. I did not say he’s coming to L.A.! I did not say that! I don’t know what he’s going to do, but during his free-agent tour, I’m told he is going to give the Lakers an interview.”

At the beginning of the season, Kyrie Irving repeatedly stated that he is willing to sign a long term extension with the Celtics when the time is due. Still, as Boston struggled this season with chemistry issues and bad performances, the narrative changed and now it seems that Irving is at least willing to consider other options.

Irving is currently averaging 23.8 points, 5.0 rebounds, 6.9 assists and 1.5 steals this season.

The post Kyrie Irving Will Reportedly Give Lakers a Free Agent Interview appeared first on SportzBonanza.

Atlanta Hawks’ guard/forward Vince Carter is defying “Father Time” and still manages to play quality minutes in the NBA despite approaching his 42^nd birthday. Seeing Carter playing into his 40s will probably get several other players inspired to stretch their basketball career a year or two, but Boston Celtics point guard Kyrie Irving won’t be that guy.

Ahead of Friday night’s clash between Hawks and Celtics, Irving was asked whether he could see himself staying in the NBA for so long.

“No, no,” – responded Irving. “Once I’m done with this, hopefully in my early to mid-30s, I’m done with this.”

According to him, it isn’t that he will be tired of the game itself, but everything that comes with it.

“I love basketball itself,” – he added. “But everything that comes with it? It doesn’t really matter to me, in terms of my life. I enjoy the game, I enjoy being with my teammates, playing every single day. Being an NBA player, this is a dream I’ve had since I was a kid. I think everything else that comes with it doesn’t hold the same stature it once did.”

Even if he ends up retiring in early or mid-30s, there is still a lot of basketball left ahead for Kyrie Irving considering he is only 26 years old.

Irving came into the league in 2011, when the Cleveland Cavaliers took him with the first overall pick in that year’s draft. During his time in NBA, he won an NBA Championship and earned five All-Star appearances.

The post Celtics’ Kyrie Irving Plans to Retire in “Early to Mid-30s” appeared first on SportzBonanza.

It looks like Boston Celtics’ All-Star guard Kyrie Irving won’t be exploring the market when he becomes a free agent in the summer of 2019. During an event for Celtics’ season-ticket holders held at TD Garden on Thursday night, Irving announced that he intends to re-sign with Boston next year.

“I’ve shared it with some of my teammates as well as the organization as well as everyone else in Boston. If you guys will have me back, I plan on re-signing here next year,” – said the 26-year-old and received a loud round of applause.

Kyrie Irving is entering the fourth year of his five-year, $94 million contract he signed with Cleveland Cavaliers back in 2015. Since the fifth year is a player option, it is expected that Irving declines it and becomes an unrestricted free agent, which would give him the opportunity to sign a maximum contract extension.

“If you guys will have me back, I plan on re-signing here.” – @KyrieIrving pic.twitter.com/0wDLzuv5WL

— Boston Celtics (@celtics) October 4, 2018

It makes sense that Kyrie Irving wants to re-sign with Boston Celtics since he would remain part of one of NBA’s strongest rosters and Eastern Conference winner favorites. Also, he can earn the most money in Boston. If he re-signs with Celtics, Irving can get a five-year deal worth $188 million. In case he would want to go elsewhere, he could only get a four-year, $139 million deal.

Although his first season with Celtics was cut short due to an injury, Irving still showed that why he could establish himself as the unquestionable leader of this team. In 60 games he played in the 2017-18 regular season, he averaged 24.4, 5.1 assists, 3.8 rebounds and 1.1 steals per game.

The post Kyrie Irving Plans to Re-sign with the Celtics appeared first on SportzBonanza.

Boston Celtics are currently battling Cleveland Cavaliers in the Eastern Conference Finals, and have been a better opponent than anyone could expect. Celtics entered the playoffs without their two-star players, Gordon Hayward and Kyrie Irving, but still managed to get this far and NBA Finals now don’t look impossible.

Missing out the series against the Cavs has been especially tough for Kyrie Irving. He was traded to the Celtics by the Cavaliers in 2017 and was de-facto the leader of the team until he went down with a left knee injury in early April. According to Celtics coach Brad Stevens, it’s “killing” Irving that he can’t make a contribution to the team’s efforts, but the good news is that his recovery is going great.

“In our sit-downs, or just our casual conversations, he seems to be in a great place,” – said Stevens. “It’s killing him not to be out on the floor. But I think that would be the case, obviously, any time you’re playing this deep into the playoffs, especially in a new place. Other than that, his recovery is going great. We’re excited about that. But he seems to be in a good place.“

Despite not being out there on the basketball court, Kyrie Irving has been present at Celtics’ home postseason games providing leadership and guidance to this young roster.
After asking for a trade from Cleveland in summer of 2017, Kyrie Irving landed in Boston who sent Isaiah Thomas, Jae Crowder, Ante Zizic and Brooklyn Nets 2018 first-round draft pick in the opposite direction.

Irving ended up playing 60 regular season games in his first season with the Celtics, averaging 24.4 points, 3.8 rebounds, 5.1 assists and 1.1 steals per game.

The post Brad Stevens: It’s “Killing” Kyrie Irving That He Can’t Play In Playoffs appeared first on SportzBonanza.

Boston Celtics have announced on Thursday that their All-Star point guard Kyrie Irving will miss the rest of the season including the playoffs. Irving had a minor surgery on his left knee on March 24 in order to remove the tension that was troubling him since the All-Star break, but he was expected to return at some point in the postseason.

Now, according to the Celtics, Kyrie Irving will have to undergo one more surgery due to a bacterial infection that was discovered on two screws in his patella. The screws were inserted in Irving’s knee in 2015, when suffered a fracture in 2015 NBA Finals, and will now be removed since his patella healed and “remains structurally sound” according to the team. The 26-year-old is expected to fully recover in four to five months.

After the announcement, Kyrie Irving posted a message on his Instagram profile writing “This season was only a snapshot of what’s to come from me.”

https://www.instagram.com/p/BhMonavHMi0/?utm_source=ig_embed

Without Kyrie Irving, it is hard to expect that the Boston Celtics will manage to make a deeper playoff run. Before the surgery, he averaged 24.4 points, 5.1 assists and 3.8 rebounds per game and was the most important factor on the Celtic’s team.

Besides Irving and Gordon Hayward, who suffered a season-ending injury in his first official game for the team, Celtics are currently without guard Marcus Smart as well. Smart had a surgery on his right thumb in March, but the team remains hopeful that he will manage to get back at some point in the first round of the playoffs.

The post Celtics’ Guard Kyrie Irving Will Miss the Playoffs appeared first on SportzBonanza.

All-Star guard Kyrie Irving decided to leave Boston Celtics this summer and sign with the Brooklyn Nets as a free agent alongside fellow superstar Kevin Durant. Although unexpected to some, it turns out that Irving’s decision didn’t come as a complete surprise for Celtics.

During an introductory press conference for Celtic’s free-agent signings Kemba Walker and Enes Kanter, team’s general manager Danny Ainge admitted that he realized during the second part of the season that Irving might leave Boston.

“I think I had a pretty good idea in March or April,” – Ainge told reporters. “Not for sure, though. Not certain. But I was obviously thinking about moving in a different direction at that point. Thinking of the different options.”

While Ainge realized he is losing his superstar in March, the players around the NBA knew it even before that as it turns out. New York Knicks’ Bobby Portis recently told The Athletic that he and other players knew that Irving and Durant will go to Brooklyn in February.

“I knew what was gonna happen in February,” – said Portis. “We all knew that (Durant and Kyrie Irving would go to Brooklyn). Everybody knew that. I just don’t think the media knew that. Us basketball players, we all knew that.”

Kyrie Irving left Boston Celtics after spending two seasons with the organization. During that time he made two All-Star appearances while averaging 24.1 points, 4.4 rebounds, and 6.0 assists per game.

The post Celtics’ GM Danny Ainge Realized “in March or April” That Kyrie Irving Might Leave appeared first on SportzBonanza.

Boston Celtics’ All-Star guard Kyrie Irving is hitting the open market this summer. According to Shams Charania of The Athletic, Irving will opt out of his current contract with the Celtics and pass on his $21.3 million player option.

Irving rejecting the option doesn’t automatically mean he will leave Boston, however. He is eligible for max extension, which can bring him $33 million in 2019/20, so becoming a free agent makes sense from a financial standpoint.

Although Kyrie Irving stated on numerous occasions in the past that he will stay with the Celtics past this season, the sources around the league say different. Irving is reportedly unhappy in Boston and would welcome the change of scenery with New York Knicks and Brooklyn Nets being the favorites to land him.

The thing that will certainly influence Irving’s decision is the recent injury of Golden State Warriors’ Kevin Durant. The duo reportedly wanted to team up in New York, and form a championship contender. Still, now that Durant tore his ACL and will miss the entire season, he might opt to stay in Golden State and choose long-term security. In this case, Irving might rethink his strategy and look for other teams that could provide him a chance to win another championship.

Irving averaged 23.8 points, 5.0 rebounds, 6.9 assists and 1.5 steals this season.

The post Kyrie Irving to Opt Out of His Contract with Celtics appeared first on SportzBonanza.

Could Kyrie Irving and LeBron James be reunited just two years after their shocking breakup? Well, as shocking as this might sound, it looks like the duo, which won the NBA title as members of Cleveland Cavaliers, might have another run together with Los Angeles Lakers.

Irving is an unrestricted free agent this summer, and while it seemed he would stay with the Boston Celtics just a few months ago, now the All-Star point guard is considering all options considering his future. According to ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith, the 27-year-old, who is already heavily linked with joining the New York Knick, will also grant the Lakers a free agent interview in the summer.

“I’m told Kyrie Irving will grant the Lakers an interview this offseason, this summer,” – said Smith during his radio show. “The Lakers will have an opportunity to get Kyrie Irving to come to L.A. I did not say he’s coming to L.A.! I did not say that! I don’t know what he’s going to do, but during his free-agent tour, I’m told he is going to give the Lakers an interview.”

At the beginning of the season, Kyrie Irving repeatedly stated that he is willing to sign a long term extension with the Celtics when the time is due. Still, as Boston struggled this season with chemistry issues and bad performances, the narrative changed and now it seems that Irving is at least willing to consider other options.

Irving is currently averaging 23.8 points, 5.0 rebounds, 6.9 assists and 1.5 steals this season.

The post Kyrie Irving Will Reportedly Give Lakers a Free Agent Interview appeared first on SportzBonanza.

Atlanta Hawks’ guard/forward Vince Carter is defying “Father Time” and still manages to play quality minutes in the NBA despite approaching his 42^nd birthday. Seeing Carter playing into his 40s will probably get several other players inspired to stretch their basketball career a year or two, but Boston Celtics point guard Kyrie Irving won’t be that guy.

Ahead of Friday night’s clash between Hawks and Celtics, Irving was asked whether he could see himself staying in the NBA for so long.

“No, no,” – responded Irving. “Once I’m done with this, hopefully in my early to mid-30s, I’m done with this.”

According to him, it isn’t that he will be tired of the game itself, but everything that comes with it.

“I love basketball itself,” – he added. “But everything that comes with it? It doesn’t really matter to me, in terms of my life. I enjoy the game, I enjoy being with my teammates, playing every single day. Being an NBA player, this is a dream I’ve had since I was a kid. I think everything else that comes with it doesn’t hold the same stature it once did.”

Even if he ends up retiring in early or mid-30s, there is still a lot of basketball left ahead for Kyrie Irving considering he is only 26 years old.

Irving came into the league in 2011, when the Cleveland Cavaliers took him with the first overall pick in that year’s draft. During his time in NBA, he won an NBA Championship and earned five All-Star appearances.

The post Celtics’ Kyrie Irving Plans to Retire in “Early to Mid-30s” appeared first on SportzBonanza.

It looks like Boston Celtics’ All-Star guard Kyrie Irving won’t be exploring the market when he becomes a free agent in the summer of 2019. During an event for Celtics’ season-ticket holders held at TD Garden on Thursday night, Irving announced that he intends to re-sign with Boston next year.

“I’ve shared it with some of my teammates as well as the organization as well as everyone else in Boston. If you guys will have me back, I plan on re-signing here next year,” – said the 26-year-old and received a loud round of applause.

Kyrie Irving is entering the fourth year of his five-year, $94 million contract he signed with Cleveland Cavaliers back in 2015. Since the fifth year is a player option, it is expected that Irving declines it and becomes an unrestricted free agent, which would give him the opportunity to sign a maximum contract extension.

“If you guys will have me back, I plan on re-signing here.” – @KyrieIrving pic.twitter.com/0wDLzuv5WL

— Boston Celtics (@celtics) October 4, 2018

It makes sense that Kyrie Irving wants to re-sign with Boston Celtics since he would remain part of one of NBA’s strongest rosters and Eastern Conference winner favorites. Also, he can earn the most money in Boston. If he re-signs with Celtics, Irving can get a five-year deal worth $188 million. In case he would want to go elsewhere, he could only get a four-year, $139 million deal.

Although his first season with Celtics was cut short due to an injury, Irving still showed that why he could establish himself as the unquestionable leader of this team. In 60 games he played in the 2017-18 regular season, he averaged 24.4, 5.1 assists, 3.8 rebounds and 1.1 steals per game.

The post Kyrie Irving Plans to Re-sign with the Celtics appeared first on SportzBonanza.

Boston Celtics are currently battling Cleveland Cavaliers in the Eastern Conference Finals, and have been a better opponent than anyone could expect. Celtics entered the playoffs without their two-star players, Gordon Hayward and Kyrie Irving, but still managed to get this far and NBA Finals now don’t look impossible.

Missing out the series against the Cavs has been especially tough for Kyrie Irving. He was traded to the Celtics by the Cavaliers in 2017 and was de-facto the leader of the team until he went down with a left knee injury in early April. According to Celtics coach Brad Stevens, it’s “killing” Irving that he can’t make a contribution to the team’s efforts, but the good news is that his recovery is going great.

“In our sit-downs, or just our casual conversations, he seems to be in a great place,” – said Stevens. “It’s killing him not to be out on the floor. But I think that would be the case, obviously, any time you’re playing this deep into the playoffs, especially in a new place. Other than that, his recovery is going great. We’re excited about that. But he seems to be in a good place.“

Despite not being out there on the basketball court, Kyrie Irving has been present at Celtics’ home postseason games providing leadership and guidance to this young roster.
After asking for a trade from Cleveland in summer of 2017, Kyrie Irving landed in Boston who sent Isaiah Thomas, Jae Crowder, Ante Zizic and Brooklyn Nets 2018 first-round draft pick in the opposite direction.

Irving ended up playing 60 regular season games in his first season with the Celtics, averaging 24.4 points, 3.8 rebounds, 5.1 assists and 1.1 steals per game.

The post Brad Stevens: It’s “Killing” Kyrie Irving That He Can’t Play In Playoffs appeared first on SportzBonanza.

Boston Celtics have announced on Thursday that their All-Star point guard Kyrie Irving will miss the rest of the season including the playoffs. Irving had a minor surgery on his left knee on March 24 in order to remove the tension that was troubling him since the All-Star break, but he was expected to return at some point in the postseason.

Now, according to the Celtics, Kyrie Irving will have to undergo one more surgery due to a bacterial infection that was discovered on two screws in his patella. The screws were inserted in Irving’s knee in 2015, when suffered a fracture in 2015 NBA Finals, and will now be removed since his patella healed and “remains structurally sound” according to the team. The 26-year-old is expected to fully recover in four to five months.

After the announcement, Kyrie Irving posted a message on his Instagram profile writing “This season was only a snapshot of what’s to come from me.”

https://www.instagram.com/p/BhMonavHMi0/?utm_source=ig_embed

Without Kyrie Irving, it is hard to expect that the Boston Celtics will manage to make a deeper playoff run. Before the surgery, he averaged 24.4 points, 5.1 assists and 3.8 rebounds per game and was the most important factor on the Celtic’s team.

Besides Irving and Gordon Hayward, who suffered a season-ending injury in his first official game for the team, Celtics are currently without guard Marcus Smart as well. Smart had a surgery on his right thumb in March, but the team remains hopeful that he will manage to get back at some point in the first round of the playoffs.

The post Celtics’ Guard Kyrie Irving Will Miss the Playoffs appeared first on SportzBonanza.