Kyrie Irving to Lakers: LeBron James sent devastating message from NBA insider

That’s according to ESPN’s Jackie MacMullan, who has spoken to people close to Irving who are sure he doesn’t want to join the Lakers.

The NBA free agency market opens in just a month’s time, and Irving’s future remains a mystery.

He endured a tough second season at the Celtics, struggling to adapt to take on the leadership role with the franchise.

While his stats were some of the best of his career, he often called out his team-mates in the media leading to tensions in the dressing room.

That culminated in a second playoff defeat to the Milwaukee Bucks, with focus now turning to whether Boston can convince Irving to re-sign with them in the summer.

It’s clear that the 27-year-old has rekindled his friendship with James in the past few months and the Celtics star reached out to the three-time NBA champion back in January to apologise for the way he left the Cleveland Cavaliers.

That has led to reports suggesting he could favour a move to Los Angeles to join his former team-mate.

But MacMullan has categorically shut down any rumours linking him with a move to the Lakers.

“I did a little digging around, and my feeling is very strongly that – while LeBron and Kyrie have kissed and made up – that Kyrie is not going there,” she said on The Hoop Collective podcast.

“He’s just not.

“I just don’t believe it.

“And I think people close to him just don’t believe it either.”

The Lakers aren’t the only team heavily linked with signing Irving in free agency.

The New York Knicks are seemingly hoping to team the 2016 NBA champion with Kevin Durant to kickstart a new era at Madison Square Garden.

But the Brooklyn Nets have also been heavily linked, and Irving has close ties to the area having grown up in New Jersey.

The Celtics meanwhile will be hoping they can bring Irving back, with Danny Ainge focussed on putting a trade package to team him up with Anthony Davis.

source: express.co.uk