4 of 6

Andy Lyons/Getty Images

Best Landing Spot: Boston Celtics

Irving (player option) sparked a viral fire in early February when he told reporters, "Ask me on July 1," about his free-agency decision, which many perceived a reversal of his preseason commitment to the Celtics. But his media session went far beyond that sound bite, and a lot of it, as relayed by MassLive's Tom Westerholm, should give Bostonians reason to believe:

"I still have confidence in Boston and what they can promise for the future and what we have in terms of our pieces. That's what excited me a lot about the beginning of the season was the opportunity to come into this season really just doing what we planned on doing, set a goal and go after it and then see what happens at the end of the season. That was the plan before and that's still the plan now. Obviously Boston is still at the head of that race. That's just where it stands."

lf Irving could handpick his supporting cast, would it look like the Shamrocks'? Probably not.

But let's say he joins Durant or Butler in New York or L.A. Could that tandem carry a club's ceiling higher than Boston's already reaches? Jayson Tatum is 21 years old, Jaylen Brown is 22 and Gordon Hayward is still finding his form after his devastating leg injury in October 2017. The Celtics are heavyweight contenders right now, yet they're likely nowhere near as good as they could be soon.

Irving will be hard-pressed to find a better on-court situation.

Plan B: New York Knicks

Depending on your preferred source, you might see this as Irving's inevitable landing spot. It makes sense on several levels, even if it's second on the list.

If Irving joins the Knicks, he's not going alone. If Durant is along for the ride, New York suddenly has one of the Association's best duos. If it's Butler, Irving would have more established star power than he does in Boston, and stars are kind of important to NBA success. New York also has enough prospects and draft picks it could consolidate in trades for more win-now talent.

Would that make the Knicks better than the Celtics are now? That's hard to say. But the 'Bockers would be rockstars in the league's biggest market and a brutal postseason draw for anyone.

Plan C: Los Angeles Lakers

Irving and LeBron James spent three seasons together with the Cleveland Cavaliers, making three Finals trips and capturing the 2016 title. While Uncle Drew eventually asked for a divorce, he's since reconnected with King James and will reportedly give the Lakers a meeting in free agency.

James and Irving were electric the first time. Most sequels aren't as good as originals, but it's possible this would be an exception.