Kyrie Irving
Irving may want to move on from Boston after this season as the marquee may be getting a bit too crowded. The Celtics got within a quarter of the NBA Finals without him and his all-star teammate Gordon Hayward. Make no mistake about it, Kyrie didn’t come to Boston to be a sidekick. He came to be “the man.” With Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown blossoming into their own, it will be hard for head coach Brad Stevens to hold them back. Also, remember Irving opted to get elective surgery and not be with his teammates on the bench for game 7 against the Cavaliers. Plus, he grew up in NJ and considers the NYC area home. That would also mean the Knicks are in play…This is all speculation but nothing about Kyrie’s season in Boston tells us it’s a guarantee he re-signs.
Klay Thompson
The easy-going sharpshooter has long said he wants to be a Warriors player for life and would even consider taking less money. The thing is, Klay is just the type of guy to do that, with his carefree demeanor and attitude. However, don’t let that fool you. He is a competitor and assuming the Dubs win the title again this upcoming season, that will be four titles in five years for Klay. He might be ready to do something different. Brooklyn is just the kind of place he might like to play for the next stretch of his career. He could pontificate on the many types of scaffolding all over the city. Brooklyn is VERY dog-friendly, so his bulldog Rocco would have an easy transition. There is plenty of nightlife, so Klay can certainly “get it in.” Most importantly Atkinson values the three ball. Klay would have the ultimate green light, much like he does in the Bay, but with more shots.
Now, if the Nets were to sign both players that would be some backcourt. With Jarrett Allen as a rim running 5 who can also stretch the floor that’s a nice nucleus. They could then move the Crabbe contract and possibly acquire a third piece in a sign and trade as part of a three-team deal.