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NEW YORK – Star goaltender Kyrie Irving said that before signing on again with the Boston Celtics, he firmly considered the New York Knicks as a potential destination for free agents.
"I mean, every team was in the study, but of course, New York held a special place for me," said Irving after the Celtic 103-101 win over the Knicks on Saturday night. "I'm from (New) Jersey and, of course, I consider myself a free agent and finally I get a meeting and I play for (Knicks head coach David Fizdale) as well as a big young kernel they have here.Think to play with (Kristaps Porzingis It was a big problem before I made my decision to … plan to sign a new signature with Boston.But yes, of course, New York was a consideration important. "
Irving, 26, announced last month that he plans to sign up again with the Celtics. He has a player option for 2019-20, the last season of his $ 94 million five-year contract.
"I think if you were in my shoes, I think it would be an easy decision," Irving said of his decision to commit to the Celtics. "Thinking about who we have (in Boston), in the future and what we're getting ready for, for me it was my age and my vision of my career, and a bit of the lineage of guys who came before me in the Celtics, that was something I wanted to be a part of. Obviously, my father and my mother had met in Boston, so I had a lot of history there too. New Jersey, there, but there's nothing like Boston. "
Irving was one of the players in the free agent category in 2019 that was of great interest to the Knicks, according to League sources. New York is still looking for a top-ranked free agent this summer – a class including Golden State striker Kevin Durant, Toronto Raptors forward Kawhi Leonard and forward / forward Jimmy Butler Minnesota Timberwolves.
New York currently plans to have $ 31 million in rooms, which is almost enough to pay for a free agent.
The maximum contract expected for next season for a player with seven to nine years of service is $ 32.7 million. The maximum contract for a player with more than 10 years of service is $ 38.15 million.
The Knicks will therefore have to make at least one additional transaction that will reduce their salary commitments for 2019-20, in order to sign a contract with a free agent.
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