Could the Boston Celtics lose Kyrie to the New York Knicks in 2019?

By Kane Pitman | Jun 9, 2018

Photo by Brian Babineau/NBAE via Getty Images /

Kyrie Irving left the Cleveland Cavaliers after the 2016-17 season seeking an opportunity to lead his own team to success. Could he be considering moving on from the Boston Celtics in 2019?

According to Yahoo! Sports‘ Chris Mannix (as reported by NBC Sports), the Boston Celtics are indeed fearful of losing five-time All-Star Kyrie Irving to the New York Knicks.

The bomb was dropped on the latest Mannix podcast, when he first floated the idea that Celtics front office members are feeling a little unsettled about the future of Irving in Boston.

"“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,” Mannix said. “You know, things can change. Obviously, you go to Boston and you become the face of the franchise. You’re on a winning team. Maybe the mindset has changed significantly?”"

On the surface, this is a startling revelation, but would it really be an earth shattering surprise?

Think about it, Kyrie Irving was unhappy in Cleveland, gets traded to Boston and no longer gets dwarfed under the behemoth shadow of LeBron James, arguably the greatest to ever play the game. He then watches as his running man, fellow free agent acquisition Gordon Hayward goes down with a gruesome leg injury on opening night. A horrific tragedy, but now this is Irving’s time to shine, right?

Of course, he did. He was simply magnificent. Irving averaged 24.4 points and 5.1 assists per game while connecting on 40 percent of his triples. Above all else, he was orchestrating a winning basketball team.

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When Irving was sidelined on March 11 with the latest in his long line of knee issues, the Celtics’ playoff hopes appeared dashed. With no Hayward or Irving, Boston looked like the optimal matchup for rivals in the Eastern Conference playoff picture.

Fast forward three months, after one hell of a playoff run, and the Celtics’ outlook has been turned on its head. Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum morphed from future stars to present-day playoff studs, while backup point guard Terry Rozier could be seen with dollar signs in his eyes as each dazzling performance went by for the newest Boston cult hero.

Remarkably, in the space of one season, it’s no longer clearly Irving’s team. In fact, he appears to have become a part of another budding super-team in the Eastern Conference. Make no mistake, this is no disrespect to Irving, as he is an elite point guard in the league. But the Celtics’ success brings forth a reasonable question to ponder: Does Kyrie want to be one of many, or the man?

New York has been overlooked in free agency for years, to the extent that Irving would arguably become the best player in a Knicks uniform since Patrick Ewing (I said arguably!). Playing under the bright Madison Square Garden lights 41 times a season, sharing the spotlight with Kristaps Porzingis might be more appealing than the multi-headed hydra developing in Boston

Speaking at the All-Star game in February, via the NY Post, Irving gave a juicy quote on Kristaps Porzingis to send NBA Twitter into a frenzy.

"“I told him I would love to play with a big like you, man, when we played them in the beginning of the season when he came to Boston,’’ Irving said during Saturday’s Media Day at All-Star Weekend. “He’s so versatile. So I wish him nothing but the best and hope he comes back even stronger.”"

At the time, it could be said to be a throw-away line, a star player taking care of his fellow young star. But now?

Looking ahead, Kyrie Irving is on the books for $20 million this season, before holding a $21 million player option in the summer of 2019. Subsequently, Rozier is set to hit restricted free agency after this season, while a Marcus Smart decision is just weeks away.

It would certainly appear unlikely that Boston would be able to keep all three guards. If indeed they do fear Kyrie walking at the end of next season, could they possibly look to float Irving on the trade table?

The emergence of “Scary Terry” has made this situation astonishingly realistic. Through the ridiculous ineptitude of the Brooklyn Nets’ front office, the Celtics have been able to stockpile assets over the past few years to build one of the best rosters for both the present and future in the association.

Maybe the Celtics jump first. Maybe it becomes much ado about nothing. Either way, it is without doubt a situation to watch moving forward.

Next: 5 biggest takeaways from the 2018 NBA Finals

Oh, and one last note: Rumor has it, LeBron James is open to discussions with Boston.

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