BOSTON CELTICS point guard Kyrie Irving might be headed for the exit door in the not too distant future, Bill Simmons suggested, after his team have flourished during the playoffs in his absence.
The 26-year-old was forced out of the postseason with a knee injury, opting to surgically remove two screws implanted in his knee to repair damage sustained during the 2015 NBA Finals with the Cleveland Cavaliers.
With Irving ruled out, 24-year-old Terry Rozier stepped up for the Celtics and has impressed, leaving many questioning whether Boston’s young core will capable of competing for a championship without needing to pay Irving when his contract expires next summer.
Irving has a year left on his five-year $100m deal he signed with the Cavs in 2014, paying him a guaranteed $20m next season – but he has a player option for a final year at $21m.
If, as expected, he opts out of the final year, he would be eligible to sign a max deal potentially worth almost $200m over five years, making resigning Irving a tough decision for the Celtics.
Speaking on The Lowe Post podcast this week, Boston fan and The Ringer chief Bill Simmons claimed he thought it was unlikely executives would part with the big bucks in order to keep Irving around.
“I think the question for me is the max [contract] and the mixed success of how damaging those contract are; Blake Griffin, John Wall – even [Russell] Westbrook,” Simmons said.
“Just to pay anybody $40m-a-year in this day and age is crushing. Unless it is LeBron [James], Kevin Durant, Giannis Antetokounmpo or Anthony Davis, it is really hard to justify.
“I just find it hard to believe that this team, who is so smart and so careful and so meticulous about how they plan stuff out, is going to pay Kyrie Irving $40m-a-year.
“I don’t see it happening.”