Kyrie Irving had an excellent first season with the Boston Celtics, so it's hard to envision him leaving the team in free agency next offseason, when he's eligible to hit the open market.

But according to Marc Stein of the New York Times, Irving's intentions for next offseason "are not at all clear at this point," with rumblings that the Brooklyn Nets and New York Knicks could pursue the All-Star point guard. Stein did note that there aren't any indications that he's planning to leave Beantown, however.

Irving has the chance to opt out of his contract next summer, and it's a foregone conclusion that he'll do just that. Irving could either re-sign with Boston for the max, or look for a new home. The cap-strapped Celtics could struggle to sign Irving to a long-term contract, and it's hard to see him taking a hometown discount.

The 26-year-old requested a trade from the Cleveland Cavaliers last year, and he was sent to the Celtics in a blockbuster deal. In 60 games last season, Irving averaged 24.4 points, 5.1 assists and 3.8 rebounds per contest. However, a knee injury plagued Irving throughout the whole year, and he was absent for the entire postseason.

Backup point guard Terry Rozier filled in beautifully for Irving, helping the Celtics go on an unexpected run to the Eastern Conference Finals. They fell just one game shy of beating the Cleveland Cavaliers and reaching the NBA Finals, however.

Crdit: Brad Rempel-USA TODAY Sports

The Celtics showed they could win without Irving in the postseason, but he's among the league's elite point guard, and thus isn't easy to replace. If Irving decides to test the open market, there will be no shortage of interested teams trying to pry him out of Boston.

Boston has assembled an excellent young core, but none of them are as skilled and dynamic as Irving. It'll be interesting to see how his 2018-19 season goes, and if Irving will explore the opportunity to sign elsewhere.

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