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But the likelihood of a return from Irving seems to be diminishing. Nevertheless, according to sources, it is clear that the pursuit of Davis by the Celtics will go ahead.
It is notorious that the Celtics have the finest collection of assets for a potential contract with Davis, but one wonders to what extent they would open their treasure chest. According to one source, the uncertainty surrounding Davis's long-term future in Boston has so far limited the Celtics' willingness to overwhelm New Orleans with a supply.
The Davis camp has been insisting for months that if Davis is traded to the Celtics, he will play the last season of his contract and then go into action after becoming a free agent. Davis' agent, Rich Paul, who also represents LeBron James, duplicated this notion in an interview with Sports Illustrated this week.
If Irving left this summer and Davis left a season after Boston sold key assets to acquire it, the Celtics would be demoted for years.
Although the precarious situation may have affected the Celtics' commercial offerings so far, the sources indicate that Boston remains very interested in Davis, regardless of Irving's future.
It has been suggested that pelicans will strive to conclude an agreement soon in order to have more time to evaluate potential customers with the selection options that they will receive in the trade. But a league source said the idea had been surpassed and New Orleans was confident in its multi-year assessment of current prospects.
The sources confirmed the general idea that the Davis lawsuit is turning into a confrontation between the Celtics and the Lakers. Los Angeles seems to be in a position of strength, knowing that Davis will certainly remain there in the long term if he is acquired.
Some sources, however, believe that the Pelican ownership group still has some bitterness about how Paul and the Lakers worked in tandem when Davis asked to be traded before the February deadline, so that the owner of the Pelicans, Gayle Benson, was more open to the public. opportunity to do business with the Lakers.
For the Celtics, acquiring a superstar such as Davis has always been the goal, as they have accumulated assets and young players. They will continue to pursue it regardless of their future with Irving. But there is no doubt that Irving's departure would reduce the championship momentum the Celtics were hoping to build.
ESPN reported Wednesday that Irving had split from long-time agent Jeff Wechsler to finally sign up with rapper Jay-Z, Roc Nation Sports. Jay-Z sold his stake in the Nets in 2013, when he created this agency.
Warriors star Kevin Durant, who has long been linked to Irving as an independent agency, was a long-time client of Roc Nation before separating from Roc Nation chief executive Rich Kleiman to form their own group, 35 Ventures. . In addition, Roc Nation President Michael Yormark is the twin brother of Nets CEO Brett Yormark. There are many points to connect.
When he met with reporters last week, Danny Ainge, president of the Celtics basketball operations, was not optimistic about Irving's situation. Asked about the risks of entering into a future deal, he closed his press conference by saying, "We took a risk trading for Kyrie, and no matter what happens with Kyrie, I'll never regret it. . You have just moved on to the next case. "
Adam Himmelsbach can be contacted at [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter @adamhimmelsbach.
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