Danny Ainge Said He Has No Regrets Over Trading For Kyrie Irving
Celtics president Danny Ainge is not certain where Kyrie Irving will land as a free agent, but he has no regrets over trading for him in 2017.
"There's always risk in making deals, so we're not afraid of risk," Ainge told reporters on Wednesday. "We made a risk by trading for Kyrie, and no matter what happens for Kyrie, I'll never regret that. You just move on to the next deal."
Irving spent the past two seasons with Boston after it acquired him in a trade with the Cavaliers. The Celtics reached the playoffs during both of Irving's seasons with the team but lost to Cleveland in the Eastern Conference finals last season and fell to the Bucks in the conference semifinals this year.
Irving has a contract with the Celtics through 2020 with his final year being a player option. The All-Star point guard is expected to decline the option and become a free agent this offseason. Rumors have already swirled over possible destinations for Irving, with the Nets and Lakers speculated to be among his top choices.
When asked if Irving's camp has indicated he doesn't want to return to Boston, Ainge said he has not received any sign of that but couldn't share much else.
"There's ongoing conversations but we'll just have to wait and see what happens there," he said.
NBA free agency starts on June 30 at 6 p.m. ET.