I HATE this. Let's not punish our stars for being real.

[KGs Knee]

He said he "plan to" stay not "will" stay, you are the one that twist his comment like the media then hate on it

You might be right. Maybe I have it wrong.

I don't remember his exact words. I looked it up. You and LarBrd33 have it right - "plan to stay".

I took it as a commitment when he said it. He talked about it in the media more in the following days. He explained his decision. Why he was committing to Boston.

It wasn't just some spur of the moment thing. He made it into a big deal in the media. He talked about how it was an easy decision for him to make -- which to me (I interpreted as), decision made, this is final -- that you would make the same decision as me if you were in my shoes. That this team is perfect for him.

He had plenty of opportunities to correct the media if he felt he was being misrepresented. He never did that.

I took it as a commitment. I might be wrong. I am not sure I am though. I am not convinced his declaration was as little as some here are trying to make it sound now.

But I am more unsure than I was 30 minutes ago.

How can you commit to something you don't even know will be offered to you.  Kyrie has no way of knowing what Ainge will do.  He said he wants to and plans to stay here, and he meant it.  He never meant it was 100% guaranteed, because there's no guarantee he even gets a suitable contract offer from Boston.

[rocknrollforyoursoul]

I think people forget that Kyrie waved a trade kicker that was worth more than $5.8 million to come to Boston. So basically, $5.8 million of Kyrie's money is invested in the Celtics. Seems like a lot of money to give up if you aren't seriously invested in remaining with the Celtics. I am sure he figured he would make it up by signing a 5 year max contract and not a 4 year deal.

Good point.

[C3LTSF4N]

He said he "plan to" stay not "will" stay, you are the one that twist his comment like the media then hate on it

You might be right. Maybe I have it wrong.

I don't remember his exact words. I looked it up. You and LarBrd33 have it right - "plan to stay".

I took it as a commitment when he said it. He talked about it in the media more in the following days. He explained his decision. Why he was committing to Boston.

It wasn't just some spur of the moment thing. He made it into a big deal in the media. He talked about how it was an easy decision for him to make -- which to me (I interpreted as), decision made, this is final -- that you would make the same decision as me if you were in my shoes. That this team is perfect for him.

He had plenty of opportunities to correct the media if he felt he was being misrepresented. He never did that.

I took it as a commitment. I might be wrong. I am not sure I am though. I am not convinced his declaration was as little as some here are trying to make it sound now.

But I am more unsure than I was 30 minutes ago.

How can you commit to something you don't even know will be offered to you.  Kyrie has no way of knowing what Ainge will do.  He said he wants to and plans to stay here, and he meant it.  He never meant it was 100% guaranteed, because there's no guarantee he even gets a suitable contract offer from Boston.

Yes exactly.  Put yourself in his shoes.  You can’t say you’ll definitely be there for years when they haven’t offered it to you. 

What you can say though is you plan on staying if the offer is made. 

[mobilija]

I think people forget that Kyrie waved a trade kicker that was worth more than $5.8 million to come to Boston. So basically, $5.8 million of Kyrie's money is invested in the Celtics. Seems like a lot of money to give up if you aren't seriously invested in remaining with the Celtics. I am sure he figured he would make it up by signing a 5 year max contract and not a 4 year deal.

TP

How come you are not copy-pasting this on every single Kyrie thread?!?!

[ozgod]

- Kyrie's comments today: Make sure to watch the freakin video instead of reading out of context tweets. 

Wanted to re-emphasize this. People are going to cherry pick his comments on both sides to fit their narrative, and whether they like Kyrie or not. At least watch the entire interview so you can see the context of his comments.

To me he started the interview off irritated at having to repeat himself (kind of like my analogy about the insecure guy who keeps asking his girl if she loves him, over and over again till she gets sick of it). He knew the media wanted him to say "yes I'm committed to Boston" so he refused to say it. Instead he said "I'm going to do what's best for myself...I've spent the last 8 years trying to make other people happy this time it's going to be my decision". (Incidentally, it's only sportspeople who get punished for making a statement that most of us would make at any time in managing our own careers. If a sportsperson says it they are automatically labeled selfish, self-centered, don't care about the fans, etc.)

He did say that (full quote): "I still have confidence in Boston and what they can promise for the future and what we have in terms of our pieces. That’s what excited me a lot about the beginning of the season was the opportunity to come into this season really just doing what we planned on doing, set a goal and go after it and then see what happens at the end of the season. That was the plan before and that’s still the plan now. Obviously Boston is still at the head of that race. That’s just where it stands.” My interpretation is that at this stage, even though things didn't go to plan, Boston is still the favorite, but things could change depending on how things go.

Our (Danny's) goal, rather than pillorying him for not committing to us, should be to do what we can to make sure that at the end of the season Boston is still at the head of that race and that he feels good about where our organization is going and what pieces will be there to support that goal. Can't make someone love you, it's a two way street.

[gpap]

- Kyrie's comments today: Make sure to watch the freakin video instead of reading out of context tweets.  Why are we punishing this guy for being open and honest about his career?  You want him to come out and lie and say he's a Boston lifer? 

Because he came out and lied earlier in the season and said he was staying.

If they didn't mean it, he should have just kept his mouth shut then. Which in turn would have meant nobody would have reacted badly to what he said today.

So why shouldn't people be annoyed? I don't get that.

I am surprised some folks are as annoyed as they are but they are entitled to be upset.

Yeah, it's a combo of both. I just saw the video too (thanks to the OP for posting.) He seems a bit annoyed and understandably so with the medial constantly in his face, asking him the same questions.

At the same time, there's two things that get me:

1)He sorta brought some of the attention onto himself when he called Lebron to "apologize"(I still don't get why he felt the need to apologize.) He should've let the past from his Cavs days go and just focus on the here and now. He should've known that was going to generate alot of publicity.

2.) Like you mention, he came out in October and said "I plan on resigning here." Now, clearly his stance has shifted (whether we want to split hairs or not.) Now it's "ask me July 1st" and "I am going to do what's best for my family."

We also need to remember, he can make alot more money by staying in Boston then he can anywhere else. At this point, I just want the trade deadline to pass so all of this rumor mongering can stop and we can all just focus on our push for the playoffs.

[SHAQATTACK]

i think we ll see a calming of the storm for a while once the deadline passes , and AD is or an't a Laker. 

until then every media outlet wants their sights visited millions of clicks ,their advertisers making money , there will be a new rumors, new click bate ,  new headline to keep YOU on pins and needles and drive you insane .

Media loves it anytime somebody like Bron or Kyrie yawns , theyll report it as significant news with certain meaning YOU need to know now !  LOL

[gpap]

I still think Danny should try to trade Gordon Hayward before the trade deadline. I've mentioned dealing him and 2 future first rounders to Chicago for Lopez and Parker. Lopez is an expiring contract (and can give us some size for the playoff run) and would rather have a 20 million dollar Jabari Parker coming off the bench then a 30 million Hayward.

Also, Parker's salary can be used in the summer as filler to an Anthony Davis trade (or any kind of trade) and either way we get out of Hayward's contract.

It also means Jaylen Brown gets more minutes to showcase himself. Throw in in a couple first rounders (not the Griz, Clips or Kings pick) to sweeten the pot.

For the Bulls, they're not going anywhere any time soon, and by the time Hayward's deal is close to running up, perhaps they'll start getting good again which matches their timeline and they perhaps deal his salary.

It's okay to admit the Hayward signing was a bad one and I could care less what kind of relationship he has with Stevens.

I feel dealing Hayward will just open up a logjam in the roster.

[LarBrd33]

i think we ll see a calming of the storm for a while once the deadline passes , and AD is or an't a Laker.

Yes, the narrative will change.  Suddenly Davis will be more open to playin in Boston, because there will be an even playing field in the trade market and both destinations will offer him hope of leaving the Pelicans for a big name franchise with title aspirations. 

[LarBrd33]

I think people forget that Kyrie waved a trade kicker that was worth more than $5.8 million to come to Boston. So basically, $5.8 million of Kyrie's money is invested in the Celtics. Seems like a lot of money to give up if you aren't seriously invested in remaining with the Celtics. I am sure he figured he would make it up by signing a 5 year max contract and not a 4 year deal.

Good point.

It's a great point, nick.  I might have to mention that in my next podcast.

[RodyTur10]

Look, when Davis announced his trade request my immediate reaction was to say "I feel like this ruins the season".  I just felt like the type of distraction it was going to cause was going to infest our fan community and our locker-room and distract from the fact Boston has actually been playing pretty darn well as of late (just had our best month of the season) and still stand a reasonable chance of making the Finals.  But instead, here we are bickering and whining about Lakers vs Celtics trade packages, whether Jayson Tatum should be sacrificed, and Kyrie Irving's future.

The heck with this.

First of all, recognize the Rich Paul of it all. 

On Davis: They have every incentive to say Lakers or bust, because it's in his best interest to get out of New Orleans as soon as possible (THIS WEEK).  Boston isn't in the mix right now so any way they can get Boston to concede, the better.  The more hysteria and drama they create, the more they hope the Pelicans react by saying "forget it, we don't want this drama for the next several months" and ship him out right now.  If I'm Davis, I'd far prefer to go to the Lakers right now than staying on the Pelicans.  That's a no-brainer.  Boston will be in the mix if we get to the Summer.

On Kyrie to the Knicks:  It's clear there is no real basis for any of this other than Rich Paul leaking comments to his media people try to stir the pot.  This is a storyline being pushed by the media - not Kyrie himself.

Could Kyrie leave?:  Of course. I've never doubted that.  Even when he said he was planning on staying, my reaction was "no doubt he has Boston as the frontrunner right now, but let's see how he feels in the Summer".  What if Boston underachieved?  What if his key star sidekicks had career ending injuries?  What if Boston got eliminated in the 1st round... and we made it to the Summer and Kevin Durant and Jimmy Butler are somehow signed to a team with a 3rd max cap slot and they are asking Kyrie to come ball?  Forget about "Knicks" for a second.  I'm talking ANY team.  It can be Orlando for all I care.  If presented with those choices, who knows what Kyrie might do.  That was my point then and that's my point now.  There was never any basis that he preferred leaving the Celtics.  It's just that you can't predict what the NBA landscape will look like months from now.

- Kyrie's comments today: Make sure to watch the freakin video instead of reading out of context tweets.  Why are we punishing this guy for being open and honest about his career?  You want him to come out and lie and say he's a Boston lifer?  Why would he?  He didn't choose to be traded to the Celtics.  Yeah, if he were making a decision right now he probably stays with Boston, but the dude is being real when he admits it's not a decision he can make right now.  Not only is it going to depend on what Boston offers financially, but it's going to depend on the makeup of the team, who he is playing with, and the overall direction of the franchise.  You should like our chances.  But listen to the actual interview and it's clear this dude is so outrageously annoyed by everything going on this week.

-  Gonna focus on what's best for his career, but right now he's focused on this season:  No crap.  I can't blame him.  It's going to be a tough choice, but it's not something worth him worrying about right now.  Boston is trying to compete RIGHT NOW.  That's his focus. 

- "Ask me about it July 1st" - This dude is clearly fed up with being asked about this stuff.  I would too.  You know, when he made his offseason declaration he was staying it came after everyone was begging him to do it. "Come on Kyrie, just say you're staying just to shut up the noise".  So then he does exactly that and now people are holding it over his head like he wrote down a promise in blood.  Leave the guy alone.  Stop asking him about something he literally can't make a decision on yet.

- "I respect the Knicks org"... He was asked about the Zinger trade.  By the way, listen to his tone... he's so clearly annoyed he even has to answer this question.  In regards to zinger he says he respects the knicks are making moves and "best of luck to them"... We're playing the Knicks tonight... this was about as cookie-cutter a response as it can get.  What's he supposed to say?... "F New York!"... get real.  Just a cookie-cutter soundbite ahead of tonight's match-up against them.

- "This is dumb sh*t" - He goes on to complain that all of this nonsense/media hysteria/etc is just entertainment and "dumb sh*t".  He's clearly annoyed that his name is in the mix of these rumors (the Rich Paul of it all).  Again, he sounds like he doesn't even want to talk about this crap and I don't blame him.

- "Gonna do my job and see what happens"... yup, just reiterating the same thing.  It's a long season.  His focus is on the present... as it should be.  Don't punish him for not having a crystal ball and being able to see into the future.

- "I don't owe anybody sh*t" - I agree with him.  He's talking about how in the past he made career decisions for others, but he doesn't owe anyone anything.  This isn't directed at the Celtics.  If anything, you could spin this into being directed at Kevin Durant and the Knicks.  He's just being honest.  He doesn't owe anyone anything - and I agree. 

- "I STILL HAVE CONFIDENCE IN BOSTON AND WHAT THEY CAN OFFER FOR THE FUTURE" - Bolding this one, because he goes on to reiterate the same thing I said over the Summer.  If he were making his decision right now, Boston would probably be an easy choice.  There's a lot to love here.  They have a lot of things they can pull off.  Yeah, he can't predict the future, but as of right now he has confidence in Boston.  This is a positive thing.  Embrace it.

- "BOSTON IS STILL AT THE HEAD OF THE RACE" - Bolding this one too, because he flat out says at present Boston is the frontrunner to sign him.  He threw ya'll a bone.  So maybe get off his back about a decision he literally can't make until Summer.

- "It's a distraction.  Trying to avoid it" - Yup.  All of this nonsense is a distraction.  This is what I was worried about when I said the Davis trade request could ruin the season.  Hopefully our guys can tune this out.

- "Storylines can seep into the lockerroom - you guys are part of the destruction of lockerrooms" - I got downvoted on reddit for saying I worried about how this Davis trade would infest our locker-room.  Well now you have Kyrie himself admitting that yes - this media hysteria can in-fact destroy lockerrooms.  And by taking this stuff out of context on twitter/reddit people are contributing to the mounting frustration players like Kyrie, Tatum, and Brown are probably currently feeling when what we want them to do is lock in and kick butt for the Celtics this season.

- "Doesn't like talking about his life".  He goes on to talk about how this is all entertainment and while he respects it, he doesn't want to have to do this part.  He doesn't want to be asked about his future every day.  Why would he?  He literally can't make a decision yet.

Seriously, nothing he said is outlandish.  Nothing he said screams "i'm leaving Boston".  The dude is being honest.  His career decision is going to be very contingent on how the remainder of this season plays out and what Boston can offer him.  We have a TON of options on how we can take this franchise.  Come Summer, Ainge will be able to sit down with Kyrie and be transparent about how we're going to take the team heading forward.  Does Kyrie want to stick around with Tatum and Brown?  Ok.  Does he want us to trade for Davis?  Alright.  Does he want us to try and convince Durant to come here in a sign-and-trade (something Jackie Mac and Windhorst brought up as a possibility a month ago)... sure.    Boston has incredible flexibility and we no doubt will be the frontrunner to keep Kyrie.  At the same time, who knows what's going to happen over the next few months.  I reject the idea that there's some "secret conspiracy" and Durant/Kyrie already have plans to join the Knicks together, but I do acknowledge that if Boston has a complete lockerroom meltdown and another team presents a more logical career path for Kyrie, he'll probably take it.  Let's make sure we're not contributing to the lockerroom destruction by spreading out of context nonsense.

TL;DR:  LEAVE KYRIE ALONE

TP for writing this.

I wanted to start a topic something similar, because all those fake news and fans influenced by it is getting tiring.

There are Celtics fans that are worried that Irving lied to us and will leave us, Knicks fans who believe that Irving and Durant have set their eyes on coming to New York, LA fans who think that the whole league is conspiring against them and Pelicans fans that think that the Celtics will have to give up every possible asset for Davis in a bidding war with New York to avoid losing Irving.

So much b*llsh*t is spread. At times like this you can see how the media really works. And if you consider that this is only about sports, you should wonder (if you don't already) how far media will go to twist politics, wars and geopolitical events. It's not just in America, but it's probably the worst, since so many people seem to believe what's reported by mainstream media. It's sickening.

[Ogaju]

I think people forget that Kyrie waved a trade kicker that was worth more than $5.8 million to come to Boston. So basically, $5.8 million of Kyrie's money is invested in the Celtics. Seems like a lot of money to give up if you aren't seriously invested in remaining with the Celtics. I am sure he figured he would make it up by signing a 5 year max contract and not a 4 year deal.

He waived his trade kicker because he wanted out of Cleveland, how is that investment in Boston. That is an investment he made for himself.

[LarBrd33]

Look, when Davis announced his trade request my immediate reaction was to say "I feel like this ruins the season".  I just felt like the type of distraction it was going to cause was going to infest our fan community and our locker-room and distract from the fact Boston has actually been playing pretty darn well as of late (just had our best month of the season) and still stand a reasonable chance of making the Finals.  But instead, here we are bickering and whining about Lakers vs Celtics trade packages, whether Jayson Tatum should be sacrificed, and Kyrie Irving's future.

The heck with this.

First of all, recognize the Rich Paul of it all. 

On Davis: They have every incentive to say Lakers or bust, because it's in his best interest to get out of New Orleans as soon as possible (THIS WEEK).  Boston isn't in the mix right now so any way they can get Boston to concede, the better.  The more hysteria and drama they create, the more they hope the Pelicans react by saying "forget it, we don't want this drama for the next several months" and ship him out right now.  If I'm Davis, I'd far prefer to go to the Lakers right now than staying on the Pelicans.  That's a no-brainer.  Boston will be in the mix if we get to the Summer.

On Kyrie to the Knicks:  It's clear there is no real basis for any of this other than Rich Paul leaking comments to his media people try to stir the pot.  This is a storyline being pushed by the media - not Kyrie himself.

Could Kyrie leave?:  Of course. I've never doubted that.  Even when he said he was planning on staying, my reaction was "no doubt he has Boston as the frontrunner right now, but let's see how he feels in the Summer".  What if Boston underachieved?  What if his key star sidekicks had career ending injuries?  What if Boston got eliminated in the 1st round... and we made it to the Summer and Kevin Durant and Jimmy Butler are somehow signed to a team with a 3rd max cap slot and they are asking Kyrie to come ball?  Forget about "Knicks" for a second.  I'm talking ANY team.  It can be Orlando for all I care.  If presented with those choices, who knows what Kyrie might do.  That was my point then and that's my point now.  There was never any basis that he preferred leaving the Celtics.  It's just that you can't predict what the NBA landscape will look like months from now.

- Kyrie's comments today: Make sure to watch the freakin video instead of reading out of context tweets.  Why are we punishing this guy for being open and honest about his career?  You want him to come out and lie and say he's a Boston lifer?  Why would he?  He didn't choose to be traded to the Celtics.  Yeah, if he were making a decision right now he probably stays with Boston, but the dude is being real when he admits it's not a decision he can make right now.  Not only is it going to depend on what Boston offers financially, but it's going to depend on the makeup of the team, who he is playing with, and the overall direction of the franchise.  You should like our chances.  But listen to the actual interview and it's clear this dude is so outrageously annoyed by everything going on this week.

-  Gonna focus on what's best for his career, but right now he's focused on this season:  No crap.  I can't blame him.  It's going to be a tough choice, but it's not something worth him worrying about right now.  Boston is trying to compete RIGHT NOW.  That's his focus. 

- "Ask me about it July 1st" - This dude is clearly fed up with being asked about this stuff.  I would too.  You know, when he made his offseason declaration he was staying it came after everyone was begging him to do it. "Come on Kyrie, just say you're staying just to shut up the noise".  So then he does exactly that and now people are holding it over his head like he wrote down a promise in blood.  Leave the guy alone.  Stop asking him about something he literally can't make a decision on yet.

- "I respect the Knicks org"... He was asked about the Zinger trade.  By the way, listen to his tone... he's so clearly annoyed he even has to answer this question.  In regards to zinger he says he respects the knicks are making moves and "best of luck to them"... We're playing the Knicks tonight... this was about as cookie-cutter a response as it can get.  What's he supposed to say?... "F New York!"... get real.  Just a cookie-cutter soundbite ahead of tonight's match-up against them.

- "This is dumb sh*t" - He goes on to complain that all of this nonsense/media hysteria/etc is just entertainment and "dumb sh*t".  He's clearly annoyed that his name is in the mix of these rumors (the Rich Paul of it all).  Again, he sounds like he doesn't even want to talk about this crap and I don't blame him.

- "Gonna do my job and see what happens"... yup, just reiterating the same thing.  It's a long season.  His focus is on the present... as it should be.  Don't punish him for not having a crystal ball and being able to see into the future.

- "I don't owe anybody sh*t" - I agree with him.  He's talking about how in the past he made career decisions for others, but he doesn't owe anyone anything.  This isn't directed at the Celtics.  If anything, you could spin this into being directed at Kevin Durant and the Knicks.  He's just being honest.  He doesn't owe anyone anything - and I agree. 

- "I STILL HAVE CONFIDENCE IN BOSTON AND WHAT THEY CAN OFFER FOR THE FUTURE" - Bolding this one, because he goes on to reiterate the same thing I said over the Summer.  If he were making his decision right now, Boston would probably be an easy choice.  There's a lot to love here.  They have a lot of things they can pull off.  Yeah, he can't predict the future, but as of right now he has confidence in Boston.  This is a positive thing.  Embrace it.

- "BOSTON IS STILL AT THE HEAD OF THE RACE" - Bolding this one too, because he flat out says at present Boston is the frontrunner to sign him.  He threw ya'll a bone.  So maybe get off his back about a decision he literally can't make until Summer.

- "It's a distraction.  Trying to avoid it" - Yup.  All of this nonsense is a distraction.  This is what I was worried about when I said the Davis trade request could ruin the season.  Hopefully our guys can tune this out.

- "Storylines can seep into the lockerroom - you guys are part of the destruction of lockerrooms" - I got downvoted on reddit for saying I worried about how this Davis trade would infest our locker-room.  Well now you have Kyrie himself admitting that yes - this media hysteria can in-fact destroy lockerrooms.  And by taking this stuff out of context on twitter/reddit people are contributing to the mounting frustration players like Kyrie, Tatum, and Brown are probably currently feeling when what we want them to do is lock in and kick butt for the Celtics this season.

- "Doesn't like talking about his life".  He goes on to talk about how this is all entertainment and while he respects it, he doesn't want to have to do this part.  He doesn't want to be asked about his future every day.  Why would he?  He literally can't make a decision yet.

Seriously, nothing he said is outlandish.  Nothing he said screams "i'm leaving Boston".  The dude is being honest.  His career decision is going to be very contingent on how the remainder of this season plays out and what Boston can offer him.  We have a TON of options on how we can take this franchise.  Come Summer, Ainge will be able to sit down with Kyrie and be transparent about how we're going to take the team heading forward.  Does Kyrie want to stick around with Tatum and Brown?  Ok.  Does he want us to trade for Davis?  Alright.  Does he want us to try and convince Durant to come here in a sign-and-trade (something Jackie Mac and Windhorst brought up as a possibility a month ago)... sure.    Boston has incredible flexibility and we no doubt will be the frontrunner to keep Kyrie.  At the same time, who knows what's going to happen over the next few months.  I reject the idea that there's some "secret conspiracy" and Durant/Kyrie already have plans to join the Knicks together, but I do acknowledge that if Boston has a complete lockerroom meltdown and another team presents a more logical career path for Kyrie, he'll probably take it.  Let's make sure we're not contributing to the lockerroom destruction by spreading out of context nonsense.

TL;DR:  LEAVE KYRIE ALONE

TP for writing this.

I wanted to start a topic something similar, because all those fake news and fans influenced by it is getting tiring.

There are Celtics fans that are worried that Irving lied to us and will leave us, Knicks fans who believe that Irving and Durant have set their eyes on coming to New York, LA fans who think that the whole league is conspiring against them and Pelicans fans that think that the Celtics will have to give up every possible asset for Davis in a bidding war with New York to avoid losing Irving.

So much b*llsh*t is spread. At times like this you can see how the media really works. And if you consider that this is only about sports, you should wonder (if you don't already) how far media will go to twist politics, wars and geopolitical events. It's not just in America, but it's probably the worst, since so many people seem to believe what's reported by mainstream media. It's sickening.

The people freaking out about all this media noise right now don't understand the motives behind the noise.  The deadline is in a week.  Everyone understands this is a two horse race between Boston the Lakers, but Boston is asking for them to delay the race for another 5 months.

- That's 5 months of Anthony Davis playing in a situation he doesn't want to play in.

- That's 5 months of endless questions about where Anthony Davis will play long term.

- That's 5 months for playing for a fanbase that no longer wants him.

- That's 5 months of not being able to get major endorsement deals, because nobody cares about a sitting duck superstar playing for a bottom .500 team in an arena they can't even sell out.

Think about this.

They are trying... very aggressively... to get this ordeal over with.  Obviously, if you're Davis, it's FAR FAR more appealing to go play in Los Angeles right now alongside LeBron James. Shoot, maybe even you two can go on a run.  Imagine all the jerseys that would be sold.  Imagine the endorsement deals.  Imagine all the positive buzz about the "newness" of it all.  Feel-good vibes from a dangerous late seed Western Conference team. 

Why wouldn't they prefer that?

So they're throwing crap against the wall.  Anything they can say to make it seem like they have no interest in Boston.  Anything they can do to say Davis would never stay here.  If they can anger Kyrie Irving in the process, get the Celtic fans to turn against him, and make him uncomfortable in his current situation - even better... because if Kyrie asks out, Boston presumably will forget about Davis and build around the young guys.   

Bottom line is they want us out of the running.  They want the Celtics to concede.  They want Boston to say "the heck with it" and trade for Bradley Beal or something... put together some "Plan B" to make Kyrie happy in the short term... or heck, maybe ... just maybe, convince Boston to dump Kyrie now so this can be a 2-horse race and the bidding war can begin this week with Boston involved.

I'm telling you, there is no logic behind the idea of Davis not wanting to play in Boston.  If we were able to trade for him right now, he'd be gleeful about coming here.  It's a top-tier org that he would fit in with beautifully.  He wants to play for a winner for a major franchise - and that's Boston.  He would have endorsement deals here.  He would compete for the Finals here.  He would sell jerseys here.  It's a top 5 rabid fanbase in the entire league.  Everything about going to Boston makes sense... but for the next week, at least, they can't say that. 

This crap is going to get worse before it gets better.  Expect them to threaten to sit Davis this year.  Expect them to start drama with New Orleans.  Anything they can do to try and force their hand right now.   But if we get through the trade deadline without him being moved, it will be a totally different story.

[nickagneta]

I think people forget that Kyrie waved a trade kicker that was worth more than $5.8 million to come to Boston. So basically, $5.8 million of Kyrie's money is invested in the Celtics. Seems like a lot of money to give up if you aren't seriously invested in remaining with the Celtics. I am sure he figured he would make it up by signing a 5 year max contract and not a 4 year deal.

He waived his trade kicker because he wanted out of Cleveland, how is that investment in Boston. That is an investment he made for himself.

He could have gotten out of Cleveland without waving his trade kicker. He waived it for Boston because it was a desired option and a possible long term landing spot for a future with titles in it. That is an investment in Boston for him to succeed.

That is $5.8 million. You don't pass up on $5.8 million to get out of a location. You pass on gobs of money like that because you can go someplace you think is great for you long term and a place you can make up that cash by being there long term, to get a fifth year max and to further your brand.

[LarBrd33]

I think people forget that Kyrie waved a trade kicker that was worth more than $5.8 million to come to Boston. So basically, $5.8 million of Kyrie's money is invested in the Celtics. Seems like a lot of money to give up if you aren't seriously invested in remaining with the Celtics. I am sure he figured he would make it up by signing a 5 year max contract and not a 4 year deal.

He waived his trade kicker because he wanted out of Cleveland, how is that investment in Boston. That is an investment he made for himself.

He could have gotten out of Cleveland without waving his trade kicker. He waived it for Boston because it was a desired option and a possible long term landing spot for a future with titles in it. That is an investment in Boston for him to succeed.

That is $5.8 million. You don't pass up on $5.8 million to get out of a location. You pass on gobs of money like that because you can go someplace you think is great for you long term and a place you can make up that cash by being there long term, to get a fifth year max and to further your brand.

Boston checked all the boxes for Kyrie and it still does.   The only thing that remains to be seen is if he really wants to go form a superteam elsewhere.  There's no real indication that's his style, though.  He supposedly hates having his future "tied to other stars" https://www.nbcsports.com/boston/celtics/kyrie-irving-apparently-hates-having-his-future-tied-other-players which would suggest he prefers just doing his own thing in Boston.