“You can’t trust him to show up to work, but once he’s at work, I’ll take him over 90% of the league” - Stephen A Smith's brutally honest take on whether New York Knicks should pursue Kyrie Irving

Brooklyn Nets v New York Knicks
Brooklyn Nets v New York Knicks

ESPN's Stephen A. Smith claimed he would offer Kyrie Irving to the New York Knicks if it were up to him. Smith, a longtime Knicks fan, believes the franchise is in a rut and should trade for Irving to try and solve its problems.

However, he also expressed concerns regarding the dynamic guard's availability. He said the Knicks should only go after Irving if he agrees to a one-year deal. Here's what he said on ESPN's First Take:

"Look man, desperate times call for desperate measures. This brother is a superstar talent, he is box office. I'm sorry now don't get me wrong, let's not get beside myself, ain't no way in hell I'm giving him more than one year at a time in terms of guaranteed dollars."

Smith added:

"You cannot give Kyrie Irving a guaranteed contract 'cause you can't trust him. You can't trust him to show up to work, but once he's at work, I'll take him over 90% of the league, it might be higher than that. He is that spectacular."
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The New York Knicks are rumored to be one of the teams interested in pursuing Kyrie Irving should he decide to leave the Brooklyn Nets this offseason.

Irving has a $36 million player option for next season. If he declines that, he will become an unrestricted free agent and can sign with any team.


New York Knicks desperately need a superstar signing and Kyrie Irving could be that player

The New York Knicks have been waiting to make a big offseason move. They had cap space last summer but used it to extend the contracts of Julius Randle, Derrick Rose, Nerlens Noel and Alec Burks. The Knicks also signed free agents Kemba Walker and Evan Fournier.

New York doesn't have the cap space to sign Kyrie Irving as a free agent, so they will have to move contracts to make that happen. They could also wait and see if Brooklyn engages in sign-and-trades.

Irving's addition will likely make the Knicks a playoff team. It could also attract other stars to the Madison Square Garden, something the New York Knicks have been eagerly waiting for.

However, Kyrie Irving has missed more games than he has played during his tenure with the Brooklyn Nets. The former NBA champion isn't reliable. That could be an issue for the Knicks, who will have to get crafty when freeing up the cap space to sign Irving.

However, there aren't many big names out there searching for a new team. The New York Knicks will have to decide on the pros and cons of signing a superstar of Kyrie Irving's caliber before making a move.

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