Ainge says Celtics, Kyrie still engaged, will 'get married on July 1st'
Kyrie Irving stirred up speculation last week by telling reporters, "I don't owe anybody s---" despite initially committing to re-sign with the Boston Celtics in the coming offseason.
However, Celtics president Danny Ainge said he's unconcerned about the statement and believes Irving is still "engaged" to Boston.
"The way I viewed the situation is that I think a lot of people, because of Kyrie's announcement (to re-sign) at the beginning of the year, thought that it was a marriage," Ainge said on Boston sports radio 98.5 The Sports Hub, according to ESPN. "And I think that it's more like an engagement. And we're going to get married on July 1st. I think that engagement is still on, as far as I know.
"In my individual conversations with Kyrie, we're still engaged, but we really can't make those vows, sign that contract until July 1st."
Despite his early-season commitment to the Celtics, Irving's name remains linked to the New York Knicks, especially after the team cleared cap space to potentially secure two max-contract players by trading away Kristaps Porzingis.
Irving also expressed frustration with Boston's lack of experience after a mid-January loss, suggesting the Celtics' young core "don't know what it takes to be a championship-level team."
However, Ainge reportedly believes he can get Irving to commit long term, especially if the Celtics acquire New Orleans Pelicans star Anthony Davis.
The Celtics were unable to chase Davis ahead of the Feb. 7 trade deadline due to a CBA rule that won't allow him to join the Celtics while Irving is on his current deal. However, the Celtics and Pelicans reportedly discussed trade proposals for the coming offseason, including the potential to include Jayson Tatum as the centerpiece of a deal.
This season, Irving is averaging 23.8 points and seven assists through 46 appearances. He's widely expected to decline his $21.3-million player option for next season and then secure a max contract in free agency.