Report: ‘No reason to believe’ Kyrie Irving will leave Celtics

Kyrie Irving tried to bring a sense of relief to the Boston Celtics and their fans back in October when he verbally committed to re-signing with the team after the season, but that public reassurance was not enough to convince everyone.

Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports reported on Monday that Anthony Davis does not consider Boston a top trade destination because there is growing uncertainty over whether Irving will actually sign an extension with the Celtics. That doubt likely exists because of some of the leadership issues Irving has had this year, but a newer report says it remains unlikely that the star point guard will go back on his word.

A source with knowledge of the situation told Sam Amick of The Athletic that there is “no reason to believe” Irving is having second thoughts about remaining with the Celtics. Although Boston has struggled more than expected this season, they are still positioned to be one of the better teams in the Eastern Conference for years to come. While Irving has been linked to the New York Knicks numerous times, he has obviously enjoyed his time with the Celtics enough to tell ownership he plans to stick around.

Irving has been critical of his younger teammates at times this season, and he recently vowed to not air his frustrations publicly again. His admitted issues with becoming a leader inspired him to call LeBron James and apologize to him for underestimating what LeBron had to go through with the Cleveland Cavaliers for several years.

Of course, that does not necessarily mean Irving has changed his mind about the Celtics. He and Davis have reportedly talked about playing together in Boston, so a reassurance from Irving that he’s going to sign an extension might go a long way toward helping Danny Ainge land Davis.