Kyrie Irving Free Agency: 3 reasons he will exit the Boston Celtics this summer

Back in the summer of 2017, Kyrie Irving joined the Boston Celtics after spending six years with the Cleveland Cavaliers. Irving requested a trade due to his desire to be the focal point of a contending team, and despite being reluctant to lose their star point guard, the Cavs eventually agreed to trade Irving in exchange for Isaiah Thomas, Jae Crowder, Ante Zizic and a 2018 first round pick.

During his two seasons with the Celtics, Irving has stepped up to become the teams main man, although the 6-time All-Star is set to test his free agency this summer. Irving is likely to attract major interest from some of the NBA's biggest teams, and here we will look at three reasons why the 26-year-old could exit the Celtics in the coming months.

#3 LeBron Reunion

When Irving requested a trade away from the Cleveland Cavaliers back in 2017, his primary reasoning was that he no longer wanted to play alongside LeBron James. While the two had helped the team to an unlikely 2016 Finals win over the Golden State Warriors, Irving had grown increasingly frustrated at his role as LeBron's sidekick, and wanted the opportunity to lead his own team.

Nevertheless, earlier this season Irving reached out and apologized to James, and the Celtics man also admitted that he was wrong to request away from the superstar back in 2016. With Irving and LeBron now on good terms, the point guard has continually been linked with a reunion with his former Cavs teammate in the summer.

The Lakers are currently on the search for a new starting point guard, as Lonzo Ball has already been used in previous trade talks, and the team also bought in Rajon Rondo for the 18/19 season. Ultimately, the combination of Irving and James was enough to take down the Golden State Warriors in 2016, and Irving is likely to be motivated by the prospect of repeating history, albeit in a Lakers uniform.

#2 Loss of Commitment

Kyrie Irving initially stated his desire to extend his contract with the Boston Celtics

When Kyrie Irving landed in Boston back in 2017, he was presented with the opportunity to step out of the shadow of LeBron James. This was something that the point guard had long craved, and the Celtics appeared to be the perfect destination long-term destination for the former Cavs man.

Irving's debut season went well, and on the eve of the 18/19 campaign, he confirmed his desire to extend his stay in Boston, telling a rally of fans that he planned to sign a new deal in the summer. Nevertheless, as the season has progressed, Irving's stance has changed, and he most recently stated that his decision will be based on what is best for himself.

Evidently, Irving will give his all to end Boston's wait for a Championship for the remainder of this season, although Celtics fans should be concerned that Irving's verbal commitment to the franchise has vanished as the season has progressed.

#1 He is unlikely to win in Boston

The Boston Celtics will struggle to compete with the Sixers and Raptors

Following the departure of LeBron James to the Western Conference, the Boston Celtics looked set to become the team that would become the new dominant force in the East. After all, the Celtics were coming off of a season in which they came within one game of the NBA Finals, despite having both Irving and Gordon Hayward unavailable for the playoffs.

Nevertheless, Hayward has yet to rediscover his All-Star form, and the Celtics will continue to be weighed down by a number of bad contracts currently on the roster. Competition in the East has also ramped up in the last 12 months and going forward, Boston will face fierce competition from the Milwaukee Bucks, Toronto Raptors and Philadelphia 76ers.

Evidently, the Celtics have a roster that will annually make the playoffs, although, without the addition of Anthony Davis, Irving's chances of winning a ring in Boston look marginal.