NBA: Kyrie Irving Talks About Knicks Rumors, Cavs-Celtics Trade, And Cleveland’s Newest PG Collin Sexton
While rehabbing from a knee injury, Boston Celtics superstar Kyrie Irving is currently promoting his upcoming movie, Uncle Drew. In a recent Q&A with the reporters, the 26-year-old point guard addressed some of the issues and rumors surrounding him this offseason.
One of the questions Kyrie Irving answered is about the Cleveland Cavaliers’ newest acquisition Collin Sexton, who was selected the No. 8 overall pick in the 2018 NBA Draft. Irving said he has no problem with Sexton wearing the No. 2 jersey in Cleveland, adding that he’s more interested in what type of player he could become in the league.
“Go ahead, do what you do. He wanted to wear the number, let him wear the number. It doesn’t matter,” Irving said, via Ian Begley of ESPN. “The story is probably going to be the number. But I’m more excited about who [Sexton] is as a player in the league. The number thing is like, just chalk that up to the game. It’s cool. It’s no hard feelings from my end. He just has to start at the chopping block just like everyone else did. So I’m excited for him.”
The pick the Cavaliers used to draft Collin Sexton was part of the trade package the Celtics sent to Cleveland to acquire Kyrie Irving. Irving revealed that he was on the set of Uncle Drew in Atlanta when the Celtics and the Cavaliers engaged in a trade deal.
“All the alerts started going off on everyone’s phone. I got a call from my agent,” Irving said. “The day it happened, the dancing [in the movie] got a little better.”
"It will always be home to me. I’m from New Jersey — to just be clear. This is where I grew up, man.“: Kyrie Irving meets with #Knicks writers on eve of "Uncle Drew'' movie premiere https://t.co/sQ5uxIDhxA
— Marc Berman (@NYPost_Berman) June 25, 2018
Irving doesn’t have any hard feelings with the Cavaliers. Despite the rumored dispute between him and LeBron James, both superstars remain good friends and act professionally on and off the court. For Irving, the Celtics-Cavs trade is now a thing of the past, and he’s currently focused on his future in Boston. Recently, Irving revealed that he has no interest in signing a contract extension with the Celtics this offseason, creating speculations about his potential departure as an unrestricted free agent in the summer of 2019.
One of the NBA teams emerging as top free agency destination for Irving is the New York Knicks. Chris Haynes of ESPN revealed that, before Irving officially became a member of the Celtics, the Knicks were one of the teams on his desired list of trade destinations last summer. Irving admitted hearing the rumors linking him to the Knicks from fans and other people. The All-Star point guard said that it’s too early to know where he will end up next offseason, and he’s trying to keep his focus on his rehabilitation and the upcoming 2018-19 NBA season.
