Spencer Dinwiddie: Kyrie Irving 1st Contacted Me About Free Agency in December

Adam Wells @adamwells1985Featured ColumnistJuly 18, 2019

MILWAUKEE, WI - MAY 8: Kyrie Irving #11 of the Boston Celtics brings the ball up the court during Game Five of the Eastern Conference Semifinals of the 2019 NBA Playoffs against the Milwaukee Bucks on May 8, 2019 at the Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2019 NBAE (Photo by Nathaniel S. Butler/NBAE via Getty Images)

Nathaniel S. Butler/Getty Images

According to Spencer Dinwiddie, Kyrie Irving may have been planning a move to the Brooklyn Nets early last season.

Appearing on The Athletic's Back-to-Back podcast with Shams Charania, Dinwiddie said Irving initially reached out about possibly playing in New York last December.

Shams Charania @ShamsCharania
My debut on The Athletic Podcasts, with Nets guard Spencer Dinwiddie. Inside his relationship with Kyrie Irving, when their initial dialogue began, how Brooklyn appealed to free agents, 'silver lining' of 2019-20 without Kevin Durant, more. https://t.co/xCvi9uh55z https://t.co/piVeTI8qbd

The NBA's tampering rules have come under scrutiny in the wake of teams and players agreeing to deals as soon as free agency started at 6 p.m. ET on June 30. This isn't the first summer deals were reported as soon as free agency opened, but the number of agreed-upon deals seemed higher this year than in the past.

It was on Oct. 4 that Irving said to a crowd of Boston Celtics season-ticket holders he would re-sign with the team "if you guys will have me back."

Sports Illustrated @SInow
From the man himself: Kyrie says he plans on re-signing with the @Celtics https://t.co/L8H3cIyfvp

Assuming Irving was genuine about wanting to stay with Boston when he made those comments, it took him, at most, two months to reconsider.

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Around the time of the All-Star break, it seems the worst-kept secret in the NBA was Irving and Kevin Durant were joining the Nets. In February, Bobby Portis told The Athletic's Mike Vorkunov "we all knew" Durant and Irving would end up in Brooklyn.

Irving and Durant both signed four-year deals with the Nets on July 7. Irving will be tasked with leading the team on his own in 2019-20 while Durant rehabs his surgically repaired Achilles.

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