Will Kyrie Irving's stint with the Boston Celtics be short-lived? Despite the fact that the Celtics are reportedly pretty confident that Irving wants to be in Boston, the New York Knicks have set their sights on the star guard, and plan to pull out all the stops to lure him to NYC.
According to a recent report from A. Sherrod Blakely of NBC Sports Boston, the Knicks are locked in on Irving as their top target for next summer's free agency period. Assuming he opts out of the final year of his contract with the Celtics, Irving would become one of the highest sought-after free agents next summer. Via Blakely's appearance on the Bulls Talk Podcast:
I can tell you right now, the New York Knicks, he is their No. 1 target. I've spoken with people within that organization. They have made it absolutely crystal clear to me that, if they had their pick of guys that are going to be in the free agent market this summer, Kyrie would be their first, second, third and fourth choice.
The Knicks have not been good recently, but simply because of the team's prestige and the fact that they play in New York City in the World's Most Famous Arena -- Madison Square Garden -- they're always going to be a factor when big-name free agents become available. Plus, they have the prospect of playing alongside Kristaps Porzingis to offer, and it would be a homecoming of sorts for Irving, who grew up in nearby New Jersey.
With Irving understandably being vague about his future plans, it would be unfair to rule the Knicks out completely. But considering the situation Irving is currently in with the Celtics, where he's surrounded by much more talent, Boston has to be considered the favorite to retain him.
We'll see what happens over the course of the season, though, as there will surely be all sorts of reports about Irving's plans between now and next July.
