NBA Rumors: Latest Buzz Surrounding Top Targets in League
Even though there are two rounds left in the 2019 NBA Playoffs, speculation is starting to run rampant about potential moves made in the offseason.
The Boston Celtics are the main focus of the offseason noise after they were knocked out by Milwaukee in the Eastern Conference semifinals.
The buzz surrounding the Celtics involves two of the league's top stars, Kyrie Irving and Anthony Davis.
Irving has a player option for the 2019-20 season, which could lead to him becoming a free agent this summer.
Although the trade talks involving Davis have calmed down recently, the Celtics are expected to jump into the market for the big man because of the amount of intriguing assets they possess.
Anthony Davis
Until a concrete decision is made about Davis' status in New Orleans, we will discuss the trade possibilities at length.
With their young assets and draft picks, the Celtics have to be seen as the best trade partner for the Pelicans, who recently named David Griffin as their new general manager.
According to The Athletic's David Aldridge, the chances of Davis staying with the Celtics in the long term if a deal gets done are significantly lower if Irving departs.
Davis has a player option on his contract in 2020 and is out of contract in 2021, per Spotrac, which means the Celtics might only get one year out of the big man if a deal is done in the summer.
If Boston still wants to make an offer for Davis, it is likely going to include Jaylen Brown, Jayson Tatum and draft picks.
The Celtics have two first-round picks in the 2019 NBA draft, and they could have a third if Memphis drops out of the top eight in Tuesday's lottery.
But if Irving leaves, Boston has to weigh its options carefully, as it could rebuild its roster with two or three first-round picks to add to the young core of Brown and Tatum, instead of mortgaging its future for one year of Davis.
Kyrie Irving
Since the Celtics were eliminated Wednesday, Irving's future has been one of the hottest topics in the NBA.
Irving will be an unrestricted free agent in 2020, but he has a player option for the 2019-20 campaign, per Spotrac.
Boston's early postseason exit could turn into a departure for Irving, as he looks for the best situation possible, and the ideal landing spot could be with a former teammate.
According to ESPN's Brian Windhorst, Irving has had discussions with the Los Angeles Lakers.
Windhorst's full comments on his podcast regarding Irving outlined the possibility of a reunion with LeBron James. (h/t CBSSports.com's Chris Bengel).
"As time passes here, I would've said that this is impossible for many months. But as time passes here and as the possibility exists that Jason Kidd could be hired as the Lakers coach, I think the possibility of Kyrie and LeBron reuniting—that door, which was deadbolted, has been un-deadbolted and has now been cracked open … It might even be opening more by the day. And I say that just because I think it's on Kyrie's radar, it's on Kyrie's board. He has had discussions with people about playing for the Lakers."
Windhorst mentioned Jason Kidd as an important part of the Irving talks. Kidd will be assistant coach under Frank Vogel on the new Lakers coaching staff, per ESPN.com's Adrian Wojnarowski.
The Lakers would make sense as a landing spot for Irving because James needs to have a stronger supporting cast around him.
If Irving signs with the Lakers, they would move themselves into the discussion as a contender in the Western Conference, and it could help the franchise land other stars.
But before he chooses where to play next season, Irving needs to carefully weigh all of his options in order to find the best possible fit.
Follow Joe on Twitter, @JTansey90.
