Kyrie Irving Free Agency: 3 reasons Kyrie Irving should stay with the Boston Celtics this summer

Heading into the 2018-19 season, Kyrie Irving was widely tipped to lead the Boston Celtics to the 2019 NBA Finals. After all, LeBron James had finally left for the West, and the Celtics themselves were coming off of a season in which their promising young core had put them within a game of the Finals.

But Boston have struggled for consistency all season long, and the team's inconsistency has put the future of Irving very much in doubt. The 26-year-old will become a free agent later this year and both the Los Angeles Lakers and New York Knicks are believed to be preparing a move.

An Irving departure is most certainly a distinct possibility. However, here we will look at three reasons why Irving should stay with the Celtics.

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#3 Doubts remain over the ability of Lakers and Knicks to compete

The Los Angeles Lakers have failed to provide LeBron James with a reliable roster

While Irving has been continually linked with a move away from the Celtics for the past 12 months, only two realistic options have emerged - Los Angeles Lakers and New York Knicks. But while the Lakers and Knicks are undeniably huge teams located in major markets, there are question marks over their ability to allow Irving to challenge for a Championship.

The Lakers once again failed to make the playoffs this season, having failed to surround LeBron James with the right talent. And the previous combination of Irving and LeBron was often brushed aside by the Golden State Warriors.

Meanwhile, the Knicks have won just 14 games this season, and Kristaps Porzingis has also left the team. The team wants to add both Kevin Durant and Irving in free-agency, although KD is far from certain to join. And even if he did, the Knicks would still be a work in progress.

Ultimately, if Irving wants to contend next season, the Celtics remain his best option.

#2 The East is a much weaker conference

The Boston Celtics' main threat in the East is the Philadelphia 76ers

The Eastern Conference has drastically improved over the last 12 months, but the division still trails the West by a long way. The Milwaukee Bucks are still too dependent on the Greek Freak, Toronto looks likely to lose Kahwi Leonard for free this summer, and while the Philadelphia 76ers provide a credible threat on paper, they have still yet to make a dent in the playoffs.

With the current Celtics' roster, Irving faces a tough task to dethrone the dominant Warriors, although he currently has a path to an annual NBA Finals appearance.

Staying with the Celtics provides Irving with the opportunity to replace LeBron James as the face of the Eastern Conference. The 27-year-old would also have a shot at becoming the regular captain of the East All-Star team.

#1 The Celtics provide him with his own team

Kevin Durant is likely to be the main man in New York

When Irving requested a trade away from the Cleveland Cavaliers back in 2017, his decision to leave was fueled by his desire to lead his own team. The Cavs granted his request, and in the two years since, Irving has established himself as the face of the Celtics.

This should not be understated, as Boston is both a contending team and one of the most prestigious in the NBA. Irving is unlikely to find a bigger team to the front, and if he was to move to either the Knicks or Lakers, the point guard would once again find himself playing second fiddle.

LeBron is undoubtedly the main man in Los Angeles, whereas the Knicks are known to want Kevin Durant as their new face of the team. This leaves the Celtics as the only team where Irving will be the biggest star.

If this factor remains as important to him as it was in 2017, then Boston is the place for him to play his basketball.