Kyrie Irving Already Decided To Leave Celtics, NBA Winner Says

Kyrie Irving is leading the Boston Celtics in the NBA Playoffs for the first time since joining in 2017 after missing last season’s run to the Eastern Conference finals. But former Celtic Antoine Walker believes this will be his last season with the Boston franchise.

The six-time All-Star will enter free agency later in July when he opts out of the final year of his contract. Irving had, before the start of the season, verbally committed to re-signing with the Celtics but has since backtracked and now simply states that his decision will become clear in July.

Irving remains committed to the Celtics and is keen to lead them to the NBA championship this year. They swept the Indiana Pacers, that was without their best player – Victor Oladipo - 4-0 in the first round of the playoffs and are now taking on the NBA regular season’s best team – Milwaukee Bucks.

The Celtics put in an impressive performance to win Game 1 of the seven-game series at Fiserv Park in Mailwaukee, with Irving again playing a starring role. But he had one of his worst games in a Celtics jersey in Game 2 as Giannis Antetokounmpo and company recorded a comfortable victory.

Irving was not to get down after the Celtics’ poor performance and was looking forward to the rest of the series. He mentioned he is determined to have fun and enjoy the upcoming games, which according to Walker, is a sign that he has made up his mind to leave the Celtics in the summer.

The former Celtics power forward, who won a title with Miami Heat in 2006, believes whatever the outcome in the ongoing playoffs, Irving will depart in the summer. Walker is of the opinion that the point guard is just focused on doing his best and going as far as possible in the post-season and then looking for another team.

"I believe he's out of Boston regardless of what happens in the playoffs," Walker said on First Things First. "That's kind of made up in his mind.”

"I think he's taken the playoffs as a situation to have fun, to go out and play, see how far they can go. I don't believe he had any expectation on how far they're going to go,” he added. “They was able to get an Indiana team without their star and they swept him. Now they're playing the best team in the Eastern Conference right now and I think he's embracing that moment."

"You heard in his press conference he talked about, 'that's what they brought me here for...And he keeps the word fun. When you're talking about fun - I'm trying to win a championship. I don't use the word fun when I'm trying to win a championship. It's going to be hard; it's going to be hard work. That's not a word I'm using in the press conference - having fun,” he said. "I'm trying to win a championship and the conversation is just too different for me to believe that he's going to stay in Boston."

Irving has been linked with a move to New York with the Knicks with reports suggesting that he will team up with fellow free agent Kevin Durant and move to the Madison Square Garden. The Lakers and a reunion with LeBron James has also been mentioned on more than one occasion.