Colin Cowherd looked into his crystal ball Thursday and predicted where several NBA superstars will land this offseason.
Kyrie Irving figures to be part of the summer’s loaded free agent class — assuming he opts out of his contract with the Boston Celtics and tests the open market — and Cowherd believes the All-Star point guard will sign with the Brooklyn Nets.
This wouldn’t be that stunning, as Irving grew up in New Jersey and the Nets are a team on the rise. But Cowherd doesn’t expect Irving to join forces with Kevin Durant, as some have suggested, for he thinks KD will leave the Golden State Warriors and join the New York Knicks.
“I think Kevin Durant won’t say it, but I think he has reservations about Kyrie Irving — who’s a small player, he’s not a (number) one (option), he gets hurt, he can be difficult, he’s a little erratic sometimes, his personality,” Cowherd said Thursday on FS1. “But (Irving) grew up a Nets fan, he just bought a house in South Orange in New Jersey. Kyrie I think will make a decision crossing his fingers that somebody joins him. But I think he will go to the Brooklyn Nets. This is something I’ve had backed up by somebody who I trust in the league. Kyrie Irving will go to the Brooklyn Nets.”
One can debate whether Irving would benefit from leaving the Celtics to join the Nets, especially if he’s not joined by another All-Star-caliber player. Boston underachieved this season despite its NBA Finals aspirations but still boasts plenty of talent. Plus, Irving can earn more money with the C’s than he can elsewhere.
Perhaps more interesting is Cowherd’s prediction that Anthony Davis will wind up alongside Durant with the Knicks. Davis isn’t a free agent, but he requested a trade from the New Orleans Pelicans back in January, and The Athletic’s Shams Charania reported Wednesday the All-Star big man is highly unlikely to change his stance despite his current organization recently landing the No. 1 pick in the 2019 NBA Draft and the opportunity to select Duke phenom Zion Williamson.
