If Kyrie Irving may be in an empire state of mind this offseason, but not in the way that most would expect.
Stefan Bondy of the New York Daily News reported on Saturday that some sources around the league believe the Boston Celtics star prefers the Brooklyn Nets over the New York Knicks in free agency this summer. Bondy also quoted NBA TV analyst David Griffin, who served as Irving’s GM on the Cleveland Cavaliers, as indicating that much in a recent interview with the network.
“I think Brooklyn is the fit that’s better for him in terms of his mindset,” he said of the All-Star guard. “I think he likes what they’ve done there culturally.”
The Nets obviously don’t have the prestige or the glamour that the Knicks do. But GM Sean Marks and head coach Kenny Atkinson have laid the foundation of a winning system with the team positioned for a playoff berth while their New York counterparts currently have the worst record in the entire league.
Irving would have to coexist with a deep backcourt of young talent in Brooklyn featuring the likes of D’Angelo Russell, Spencer Dinwiddie, and Caris Levert. That said, his interest does seem legit, particularly in the context of what looks like a progressively deteriorating relationship with the Celtics.
