Kyrie Irving Free Agency 2019: Uncle Drew Unlikely to Take His Talents to the Lakers, NBA Sportswriter Claims

There have been a lot of speculations surrounding Kyrie Irving and what his decision is going to be once he hits free agency in the summer. This isn’t surprising given the talent and caliber that the Celtics guard have.

One of the teams touted to land Kyrie Irving is the Los Angeles Lakers. Obviously, the narrative centers on the 27-year-old’s relationship with LeBron James, a connection that’s recently been repaired.

However, NBA sportswriter Jackie MacMullan is convinced that Kyrie Irving would be doing no such move. The sentiment is based on MacMullan’s own investigation on the matter, Fansided reported.

“I did a little digging around, and my feeling is very strongly that – while LeBron and Kyrie [Irving] have kissed and made up – that Kyrie is not going there. He’s just not. I just don’t believe it. And I think people close to him just don’t believe it either,” MacMullan said.

If Kyrie Irving isn’t taking his talent to the Lakers, where is he heading next? Well, the speculation that Uncle Drew is headed to the New York Knicks is still making its round on the web, although that narrative has considerably died down. It’s not expected that the talented guard will stay with the Celtics as the organization is currently the least favorite to land Irving, CelticsWire reported.

Instead, Bleacher Report’s Ric Bucher is saying that the current favorites are the Brooklyn Nets and the Los Angeles Lakers, with the latter claim directly opposing MacCallum’s assumptions. The reason why there are a lot of people banking for the Lakers to land Kyrie Irving is not only because of James but also due to the guard’s relationship with Kobe Bryant.

It’s been widely reported that when the Cleveland Cavaliers defeated the Golden State Warriors in 2016, Kyrie Irving personally called Bryant in the locker room and thanked the icon for guiding him. It’s safe to assume that the retired player’s opinion still holds sway on Uncle Drew and what his decision is going to be moving forward. To put shortly, there’s really no telling what the 27-year-old’s decision will be, especially since Irving’s opinion is constantly changing. In the meantime, the battle between the Golden State Warriors and the Toronto Raptors is well underway, with the latter drawing first blood in the series.