As the Celtics' title hopes are on the line while Kyrie Irving continues to struggle against the Bucks, odds are already out for which team he will wind up playing for next season. While the Knicks and Celtics are well within the conversation, an unlikely suitor has emerged as the new favorite in Las Vegas: the Brooklyn Nets.
The Nets made the playoffs this year behind the stellar play of D'Angelo Russell, and the team does appear to have a bright future. While they don't play in a storied arena such as Madison Square Garden, the team is building a better reputation then their rival Knicks.
That could be good news for the Nets as they chase stars like Irving, who could take them to the next level and make them not only a playoff team, but a legitimate threat in the East.
The incumbent Celtics are naturally high on the list, but many see it as a longer shot for Irving to rejoin LeBron James on the Lakers. As for how a Russell-Irving backcourt would work in Brooklyn, either of them could ostensibly be shooting guards but that's the kind of issue the team would have to face as it comes. Russell will be a restricted free agent this season, and he played well enough this year that he might get offered a max contract -- something Irving would also undoubtedly command.
Irving has remained tight-lipped about his future with the Celtics, so him staying in Boston isn't totally out of the question. However, with the way their series against the Bucks is unfolding, he may deem it time to seek greener pastures come the offseason.