It's shaping up to be an interesting offseason for Kyrie Irving. After a mid-season trade to the Dallas Mavericks, it looks like Irving is not sticking around to continue the great experiment alongside Luka Dončić. While the 31-year-old was at the center of some controversy this season, sharing a link to an anti-Semitic conspiracy film on Twitter, it was thought he would be something of a hot commodity. As the season wound down, multiple teams were rumored to be considering pursuing Irving.
However, recent news suggests that may be far from true. According to NBA insider Marc Stein, the free agent market for Irving is "non-existent", with the Mavs the only team currently pursuing Irving. Irving does not appear eager to return to Dallas. On the other hand, he has not publicly ruled out another stint with the Mavericks. However, a recent public sighting of Irving could be an indication of the point guard's future.
Irving Spotted In New York
Shared to Instagram by 2Cool2Bl0g, footage shows Irving, surrounded by friends, family, and some NYPD officers, pushing a stroller through Rucker Park. Rucker Park is an NYC institution located in Harlem. Players like Kareem, Wilt, Metta Sandiford-Artest, and Dr. J all played on its courts prior to their NBA careers. In 2022, Rucker Park was one of the sites used for The Basketball Tournament.
However, the bigger question is whether this means anything for Irving's plans. Obviously, Irving is coming off four years in New York and probably still has major links to the city. Despite this, is there a story here? Could the Nets or Knicks be interested in picking up the free-agent guard? Or this is simply a social visit to a place Irving called home for a number of years? After all, Irving attended high school in nearby New Jersey. It's not a region of the country he has no links to. Regardless, let us know your theories in the comments. Follow all the latest sports news here at HotNewHipHop.
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