Report: Kyrie Irving Will Not Opt Into Celtics Deal, Set to Become Free Agent
Celtics point guard Kyrie Irving will not opt into his $21.3 million deal for next season and will become a free agent, reports Shams Charania of The Athletic.
According to Charania, Boston expected this ahead of Irving's option date on Thursday.
Irving also reportedly parted ways with longtime agent Jeff Wechsler within weeks of free agency, according to Adrian Wojnarowski. Irving is expected to partner with ROC Nation Sports for representation.
Irving averaged 23.8 points, 6.9 assists and 5.0 rebounds during the 2018-19 season. The Celtics finished the year after being beaten by the Bucks in the Eastern Conference semifinals. After the last loss in that series, Irving said, "For me, it's just moving on to the next thing, and just seeing where that ends up."
Last week, ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski reported Irving is "serious about the Nets," who are in turn "serious" about beating the Knicks and other teams in acquiring the biggest free agents on the market.
Irving will be one of the top free agents this summer along with Warriors' star Kevin Durant, who reportedly views opting into his Golden State contract as a "last resort" after he suffered an Achilles injury on Monday night during the NBA Finals. The severity of Durant's injury is still not confirmed, but ESPN's Ramona Shelburne and Wojnarowski reported an MRI will show it is likely a torn right Achilles tendon.
