Eight-time NBA All-Star Kyrie Irving has decided to address the talks surrounding his pending free agency.
Irving, who finished the 2022-23 regular season with the Dallas Mavericks, took to Instagram Live to make it clear that he would be taking some time before making a decision on the next step of his NBA career.
«I’m a free agent this summer, but I’m not in a rush to make a decision,» Irving said.
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Kyrie Irving of the Dallas Mavericks reacts to a fan during the second quarter against the New Orleans Pelicans at the Smoothie King Center on March 8, 2023 in New Orleans. (Sean Gardner/Getty Images)
Irving added that any conversation connecting him to an NBA team shouldn’t be taken seriously.
«The speculation around my name from all these people who are on TV and have these personalities, all these people who have platforms… When they’re talking about my name and they’re talking about potential teams that I’m going to, can you all please, respectfully, stop paying attention to that.»
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The 31-year-old then reiterated that he won’t be rushing to a decision.
«I’m not in a hurry to make a decision. I know what’s in store for me in the rest of my career.»
Referee Josh Tiven and Kyrie Irving of the Dallas Mavericks stand before Game 4 of the Western Conference Finals between the Denver Nuggets and Los Angeles Lakers on May 22, 2023 at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles. (Garrett Ellwood/NBAE via Getty Images)
The Los Angeles Lakers have primarily been the team that has been linked to Irving since the regular season came to a close.
The Lakers reportedly attempted to acquire Irving via trade during the season before the Nets ultimately traded him to Dallas.
Dallas Mavericks guard Kyrie Irving in action during the game with the Phoenix Suns at the American Airlines Center in Dallas on March 5, 2023. (Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports)
The star point guard has attended multiple Lakers playoff games and was a teammate of LeBron James during the Cavaliers’ 2015-2016 NBA championship season.
Lakers general manager Rob Pelinka and the rest of the front office will prioritize the resignation of Austin Reaves, who had a great 2022-23 season.
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Reaves and Rui Hachimura are restricted free agents, but the Lakers’ most prominent unrestricted free agent is point guard D’Angelo Russell. Veteran guard Dennis Schroder is also poised to enter the free agency market.