Kyrie Irving won an NBA title alongside LeBron James with the Cleveland Cavaliers. He’s a six-time All-Star and a tremendous player who will have no shortage of suitors this offseason if he opts out of his contract with the Boston Celtics and becomes a free agent.
But is Irving good enough to be the No. 1 option on a championship contender?
Nick Wright pondered this question Monday on FS1’s “First Things First,” and it’s a fair inquiry given how the Celtics fared this season with Irving after reaching back-to-back Eastern Conference finals without the talented point guard.
Wright argued the Los Angeles Lakers, led by James, should have no qualms about pursuing Irving in free agency. He also believes the New York Knicks would be a good landing spot provided they pair Irving with a proven superstar like Kevin Durant.
Wright isn’t sure a team without another legitimate star — like the Brooklyn Nets — should look to build around Irving, though, because his past two seasons with Boston have shown he might not be capable of handling a lead role.
The Celtics, who came within one win of reaching the NBA Finals last year while Irving was injured, just flopped in the second round of the Eastern Conference playoffs against the Milwaukee Bucks after a regular season in which the 27-year-old’s leadership constantly was questioned.