Kyrie Irving is not ready to talk about anything regarding next summer. At this point, Irving is simply focused on helping the Cavaliers return to the postseason this year, next season can wait. However, the more Irving continues to remain silent about his future in Cleveland, the more concerned people get that he is preparing to jump ship.
Irving has so far been a relatively good replacement to LeBron James for the Cavaliers. He has an All-Star appearance under his belt. He is one of the fastest rising stars in the league as he enters into his third season in Cleveland. He is the centerpiece to a young Cleveland team that could be on the cusp of something big in the future. The only question is whether or not Irving will remain a part of it.
"I'm not really worried about that right now. Right now I'm focusing on the year ahead, my third year, then I'll worry about that in the summertime," Irving said to the Akron Beacon Journal. "Right now I'm a Cavalier. This is where I am. All that future stuff, I'm not worried about."
Next summer, the Cavaliers can offer Irving a max contract extension. It would be worth upwards of $80 million. Irving could be the sixth point guard to sign a max deal after John Wall, Chris Paul, Russell Westbrook, Deron Williams and Derrick Rose all got paid. The extension would be around five-years, cementing Irving as the face of the franchise.
Irving's future with the team has been questioned ever since a radio host in New York insisted that Irving would not be around for much longer. The point guard disputed those reports while attending a Team USA basketball camp in Las Vegas.
Obviously, Irving's recent comments are simply saying all the right things, but it is not a solid endorsement that he will remain with the team past his rookie contract. The Cavaliers currently can control Irving for three more seasons and it is unlikely that Irving would refuse a max contract coming off his rookie deal.
Over the offseason, the Cavaliers have done everything to build the team around Irving. They added Andrew Bynum as well as young talent including Tristan Thompson, Dion Waiters and Anthony Bennett. With the young point guard, the idea of the Cavaliers being in the playoffs is not far off.
Irving's comments would not be receiving this much attention if he were part of any other team. But, the reality is that Cleveland has been burned once before and the wounds have not yet healed. They will continue to remain skeptical until Irving puts pen to paper on another contract.
