Irving wants Celtics stay
Kyrie Irving has officially revealed he wants to stay with the Boston Celtics rather than test out the free agency market.
The five-time All-Star guard was one of many names talked about in a packed 2019 class and enters the final year of a five-year $94million contract this season.
Irving recently told ESPN that “financial implications” prevented him signing an extension last summer, with the 26-year-old standing to make an extra $80m by re-signing next year instead.
And having been heavily linked with the New York Knicks, Irving told Celtics fans at a season-ticket holder event at TD Garden that he wants to stay in Boston – who are well placed to dominate the Eastern Conference for the coming years.
“I’ve shared it with some of my teammates, as well as the organisation and everyone else in Boston. If you guys will have me back, I plan on re-signing here,” he said to a huge roar from fans.
Added to Irving’s comments, reliable NBA inside Shams Carania said on Twitter: “Sources: Kyrie Irving has met with Celtics ownership and has been direct with his message to Boston’s brass over past few months: He’s committed long-term to the franchise.”
LeBron James for MVP?
LeBron James is the outstanding candidate to be the 2018-19 MVP according to an NBA General Manager survey – and former Los Angeles Lakers star Byron Scott is in agreement.
James is a four-time winner but has not won the award since 2013, when he was with the Miami Heat.
But for the seventh successive season, GMs named James as the most likely man to beat the likes of Kevin Durant, Anthony Davis and James Harden.
The 33-year-old is bidding to add a long-awaited fifth accolade win having moved to the Western Conference to lead the Lakers’ hopes of a revival.
And Scott – a former member of the iconic Showtime Lakers team – told The Jump on ESPN: “If LeBron James comes to Los Angeles and wins 50 games and gets his team to the second round, he is by far the MVP of this league.
“He’s been able to do it on different occasions with different teams but being able to come here and do it on this market, get them to the second round of the playoffs, get 50 wins, we know LeBron is going to average 20-something point, seven or eight rebounds, seven or eight assists – that’s the norm.
“That’s one of the reasons he hasn’t got MVP because the expectations are so high for LeBron James.
“If he does what he normally does, which is play great basketball, and the Lakers young core can rise to the occasion – he’s the clear MVP.”
Knicks’ Durant hope
Kevin Durant to the New Yorks Knicks is very much a possibility.
At least that’s the impression NBA insider Stephen A. Smith has got.
That follows a claim from Chris Haynes on Fox Sports in which he suggested the Knicks have “a very good shot” at prising the ace away from the Golden State Warriors.
Durant can become a free agent next summer and much has been made of whether he will re-sign with the Warriors or more elsewhere, with the Lakers cited as another possible destination.
And Smith, talking on Get Up! on ESPN, thinks the Knicks are essentially relying on two things to land Durant.
“I can tell you for a fact the New York Knicks believe they have a chance,” he said.
“They’ve been led to believe they have a chance, they’ve not been led to believe that they’re the frontrunners or that he’s definitively coming.
“But from the people that I’ve spoken to with the Knicks, they believe they have a shot at him or Kyrie Irving – that one of them will strongly consider coming to New York City next summer.
“That’s why they’re banking this season on two things, the development of Kevin Knox and Kristaps Porzingis coming back by March.
“If he comes back and shows you that he’s still that guy for about six weeks to two months, they think that’s going to be enticing enough for a marquee free agent.”