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With the 2018 NBA free agency period cooling off considerably, teams have started looking forward to the 2019 free agency. Front-office staff, like Magic Johnson, have been vocal about plans to look at key free agents in 2019 and maintaining long-term financial flexibility. The list of free agents hitting the market include Kwahi Leonard, Demarcus Cousins (hope he is healthy), Klay Thompson, Jimmy Butler, Kyrie Irving, Al Horford, Kevin Durant, Kemba Walker, restricted free agents like Kristapis Porzingis, Karl Anthony Towns and many more. Even though the intrigue and drama might be less compared to the Lebron-led 2018 free agency class, expect the 2019 free agency to have its own share of surprising free agent signings that will take place throughout the league.
One of the intriguing free agents is going to Kyrie Irving. Even though he is not spoken about in the same breath as the Lebrons, Currys and Durants of the league, his burning desire to become a complete player is a feature that sets him apart from many players in the league. Keeping this factor in mind, let us look at four teams that Kyrie might consider signing as free agent in 2019.
#4 Toronto Raptors
Tracy McGrady forced his way out of Toronto in the year 2000. Tracy's cousin Vince Carter left Toronto to team up with Jason Kidd in 2004. Chris Bosh left Toronto to join the infamous Heatles in 2010. This trend shows that superstars don't like Toronto and prefer to play in the United States. However, things might be different in 2019. If Masai Ujiri and head coach Nick Nurse somehow convince Kwahi Leonard to sign as a free agent in the year 2019, things can get really interesting in Toronto.
With Kyle Lowry at the point, one might argue why Kyrie Irving might be interested in signing with Toronto. However, I believe that Lowry will be able to slide to the shooting guard position and Irving can run the offense. If Kyrie decides to join Toronto, a starting lineup of Jonas Valančiūnas, Serge Ibaka, Kwahi Leonard, Kyle Lowry, and Kyrie Irving can give fits to the Golden State Warrirors, too.
For Kyrie to sign with the Raptors along with Kwahi Leonard, the Raptors have to go beyond the salary cap. However, if the chance presents itself, Kyrie should consider joining this team, which will make the NBA finals interesting again.
#3 New York Knicks
When Kyrie expressed his interest to be traded to a different team during the 2017 offseason from Cleveland, the New York Knicks emerged as a strong contender before the trade to the Celtics happened. There is something about NBA players wanting to represent their hometown franchise and Kyrie is no different here.
There are two primary reasons why the Knicks will come into strong contention to sign Kyrie in 2019. After years of dysfunction (read the Isiah Thomas and Phil Jackson eras), the front office in New York looks settled with the addition of Scot Perry and new coach David Fizdale. Also, the presence of a core that includes Kristaps Porziņģis and promising rookie Kevin Knox (based on his play in the Summer League) might attract Kyrie Irving.
The only downside is that New York might have to sacrifice their young but promising set of point guards like Frank Ntilikina and Emmanuel Mudiay to sign Kyrie. Overall, Kyrie will add veteran leadership to the young Knicks and teach them a thing or two about winning playoff series consistently.
#2 The San Antonio Spurs
If Greg Popovich is still with the Spurs in the year 2019, we can all expect San Antonio Spurs to be a strong suitor for Kyrie Irving. When Kyrie expressed his interest to be traded from Cleveland in 2017, his wish list included New York Knicks and San Antonio Spurs. So, if the opportunity presents itself to Kyrie for a chance to play for the Spurs, I am certain that he will jump at the opportunity.
The other reason why Spurs will be an attractive option for Kyrie is the presence of dynamic players like Aldridge and the recently acquired DeMar DeRozan. A backcourt of Kyrie and DeRozan can compete with most of the backcourts in the crowded Western Conference. Also, Aldridge’s back to the basket kind of game complements Kyrie’s outside shooting touch, which in turn can help Spurs become a strong contender in the Western Conference. While we are yet to see how DeRozan is going to be integrated into the beautiful Spurs offense, I believe that Greg Popovich will be able to integrate all the talents into the free-flowing basketball team that can challenge the Warriors.
#1 The Boston Celtics
The Boston Celtics can easily be considered as the best fit for Kyrie. The Celtics took the Cavaliers with James till game 7 in the Eastern Conference finals without Kyrie and Hayward. Based out of this performance, the Celtics are primed to come out of the Eastern Conference and maybe run the Golden State Warriors close, too.
The other key factors that work in Boston’s favour is its amazing depth. Even if Horford decides to walk away in free agency, the Celtics will still be one of the favourites to reach the NBA finals for years to come. Other than Tatum and Brown, they have tough-minded personalities like Rozier and Smart in their ranks. Finally, the link that connects all these unique talents is the creative coach Brad Stevens. He is being touted as the next great coach in the league and most of the experts believe that he will take Boston and Kyrie to greater heights.
What do you think about all these potential landing spots for Kyrie? Feel free to leave your comments below. :)
Guess the Lakers players!
