Boston Celtics: 3 big questions following 2019 NBA All-Star break

1. Will Kyrie Irving re-sign with the Celtics?

For the third straight season, Irving is averaging at least 23 points per contest. He is shooting 49.8 percent from the floor and 40.9 percent from 3-point range.

As is the case with his shooting efficiency, Irving’s assists (6.9 per game) and rebounding numbers (4.9 per contest) are also career highs.

These stats, combined with the fact that Irving is one of the best fourth quarter players in the league, mean it makes sense the Celtics want to keep him in the fold for the foreseeable future. Last October, it appeared that the feeling was mutual:

"“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,” Irving said, to the fans at TD Garden, via ESPN."

Fast forward to present day, it appears Irving’s tune has changed somewhat:

"“At the end of the day, I’m going to do what’s best for my career, and that’s just where it stands. That’s just where it stands,” Irving said via ESPN‘s Ian Begley. “And my focus this season is winning a championship with the Boston Celtics. Obviously, we had goals coming into the season, and the primary goal is to win a championship. So that’s where my focus is.”"

Irving did go on to say that the Celtics are still ahead of the race in terms of the number teams that will be looking to acquire his services this summer, but it wasn’t the same firm commitment he had made prior to the start of the season.

Regardless of how the rest of the season plays out, the Celtics want to retain Irving — not just for the sake of keeping one of the premier point guards on their roster, but having Irving could also prove to be important as far as improving the team’s chances of landing Anthony Davis, who requested a trade from the New Orleans Pelicans in late January.

The question is, does Kyrie Irving feel the same way?