Boston Celtics: What’s the priority – Kyrie Irving or young potential?

Without a doubt, the Boston Celtics are struggling this season with what mainly seems like team chemistry issues. In the long run, what is more important: re-signing Kyrie Irving or keeping the young potential on the team?

The Boston Celtics are currently sitting in fifth place in the Eastern Conference standings with a record of 38-26. In the wake of constant media coverage, the team chemistry has swirled out of control, and it is all centered around star point guard Kyrie Irving.

Irving is averaging 23.4 points, 6.9 assists and 4.9 rebounds per game on the year, which are better than his career averages of 22.1 points, 5.6 assists and 3.6 rebounds. Regardless, he is still being blamed as the main cause of the Celtics not performing to their potential.

Due to the Celtics not meeting their expectations, Irving has dealt with a large amount of scrutiny. He has been known to be very short with the media this season, which hasn’t really sat well with many fans.

Prior to the start of the year at a season ticket holder event in Boston, Irving announced that he planned to re-sign with the Celtics this summer.

Take it for what it’s worth, but Irving had also promised a young Cavs fan that he would never leave Cleveland back in 2013.

Things seem to have changed since then. The Celtics struggled early, and the morale became low. One player, Marcus Morris, even went as far to say that playing for the Celtics was not fun, as the team just could not mesh together.

Irving was approached by the media later on in the season on his plans for the offseason, where he said, “At the end of the day I’m going to do what’s best for me and my career. I don’t owe anyone s**t. Ask me July 1.”

As expected, his response sent rumors flying around the league. Did he mean that he didn’t owe the reporters a response, or that he didn’t plan to re-sign in Boston because he doesn’t owe the Celtics anything?

Since then, reports claim it has not gotten any better. On March 4, The Ringer‘s Kevin O’Connor reported that Irving seemed “disengaged and detached” from those around the team. He went on to say that Irving’s only friend on the team seems to be fellow Duke Blue Devil, Jayson Tatum.

As time goes on, Irving seems to get more and more irritated with the media and his situation in Boston. It seems like a vicious, never-ending cycle: he gets frustrated about losing, the media asks him about his frustration, and then Irving gets frustrated about the media acknowledging all the frustration.

The most recent outbreak Irving had towards the media was March 4, where he mentioned his dislike for all the coverage, claiming he is not in the NBA to be a celebrity, and that he just wants to play basketball at a very high level.

Hard to believe coming from someone who created and starred in his own movie, Uncle Drew, in the summer of 2018.

Around the trade deadline, the New Orleans Pelicans were in a push to get rid of their All-Star in Anthony Davis. With the Pelicans and the Los Angeles Lakers in deep trade talks, The Athletic‘s Shams Charania reported the Celtics were willing to make everyone available in trade talks for Davis this offseason.

With the report of no one being safe, this begs the question: What is more important for long-term success — re-signing Irving or maintaining their talented young core loaded with potential?

If Irving re-signs, a trade package of Tatum, Jaylen Brown, Marcus Smart and Al Horford would most likely be put together to acquire Davis from the Pelicans. Is keeping Irving, a player who has had a hard time showing long-term commitment, and acquiring Davis worth giving up all of the young potential All-Stars in Tatum and Brown?

On the other hand, if Irving walks, the Celtics would be able to focus on keeping their young core. Boston could do a sign-and-trade with New Orleans, sending Irving and other smaller pieces in return for Davis, and most likely keep its future intact with Tatum and Brown.

However, Irving would have little incentive to head over to NOLA, and trading away Kyrie wouldn’t make for a convincing argument to re-sign Anthony Davis in free agency in 2020.

Tatum, a 21-year-old forward, has already shown tremendous improvement since his rookie season, where he averaged 13.9 points, 5.0 rebounds and 1.6 assists in 30.5 minutes per game. This season, his numbers have increased to 16.1 points, 6.3 rebounds and 1.8 assists in 31.2 minutes per game.

While numbers won’t show it, Brown has also shown improvements. Since early season struggles forced Stevens to change the starting lineup, Brown has been thriving in his bench role, where he is averaging 12.7 points, 4.4 rebounds and 1.4 assists in 25.9 minutes per game.

Even if the Celtics can’t pull off a sign-and-trade where they send Irving to the Pelicans, they should still make keeping their young core a priority. If that means letting Irving walk, then, by all means, let Irving walk.