Kyrie Irving Has Message for NBA Fans Pressing Him About Free Agency Plans

The Mavericks guard isn’t ready to talk about his impending free agency.
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The 2022-23 NBA season isn’t even over yet, but some observers already are offering wild speculation as to where Kyrie Irving will play next season.

He spent 3 1/2 seasons with the Nets before requesting a trade that landed him with the Mavericks. In Dallas, Irving joined forces with Luka Dončić, but the Mavericks stumbled down the stretch and ultimately missed the playoffs.

Now, Irving is set to become a free agent, and pundits are connecting all kinds of dots as to predict where he might play next season.

Could Irving stay in Dallas for the long term? Could he end up alongside LeBron James with the Lakers, who explored acquiring him earlier this year?

One thing is clear. Irving is already tired of the speculation.

“I’m a free agent this summer, but I’m in no rush to make a decision,” Irving said Wednesday on Instagram Live. “When [media figures] speak on my name and they’re talking about potential teams that I’m going to, can y’all please, respectfully, please stop paying attention to that?”

Later in the Instagram Live session, Irving asked fans themselves to pump the brakes on the speculation as well.

“The last thing I’m gonna say before I say I love y’all is stop mentioning me on Twitter!” Irving said. “All y’all fan bases, stop mentioning me right now, please. It is still the [conference finals]. Can y’all please leave me the f— out of this?

“Please, can I just be with my family in peace? Y’all got people at my dinner table discussing what my free agency plans are. Stop that!” Irving said with a laugh.

The mercurial superstar is expected be one of the top free agents available this summer. He will have suitors, but it remains to be seen where he will end up.


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Mike McDaniel
MIKE MCDANIEL

Mike McDaniel is a staff writer on the Breaking and Trending News team at Sports Illustrated, where he has worked since January 2022. His work has been featured at InsideTheACC.com, SB Nation, FanSided and more. McDaniel hosts the Hokie Hangover Podcast, covering Virginia Tech athletics, as well as Basketball Conference: The ACC Football Podcast. Outside of work, he is a husband and father, and an avid golfer.