BOSTON -- Kyrie Irving had one very reasonable request for the assembled Boston Celtics media on Tuesday, speaking at an event promoting his new movie, "Uncle Drew."

"My hope is that maybe we could limit it to maybe one question a day about what I'm doing next year (in free agency)," Irving said, smiling. "That's my hope."

Irving should probably be careful what he wishes for, because one question a day during the regular season would end up being a lot of questions by the end of the season. But his point was clear: There's a lot of basketball to be played between now and the 2019 offseason, and Irving wants to focus on that opportunity, rather than on what amounts to a one-year deal entering 2018-19 once he inevitably declines his player option for 2020.

"The focus is solely on winning a championship next year," Irving said. "I don't think it'll necessarily have an effect. I'm doing my best to kind of deflect all that and focus on what's in front of us."

After watching what the Warriors did to the Cavaliers in the Finals, Irving almost seems bold for talking about a championship. But he saw what the team did in his absence, and he knows how much better they can be when fully healthy. Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum proved they were ready to win immediately. Al Horford may be at the end of his prime, but he's still a two-way star capable of locking down some of the best players in the league.

When the team returns from its summer recess, with Irving and Gordon Hayward healthy and ready for training camp, they will likely have skilled, battle-tested stars at every position in the starting lineup.

"I'm just glad everyone got to learn how special they were on a bigger stage," Irving said. "I'd been talking about how great they were, some of their numbers particularly probably didn't look as appealing to the outside looker, but they were always locked in. And then when they were afforded the opportunity to take the reins of the team, you saw them take full advantage of it. You saw guys that literally are going to be stars in this league for years to come."

That's the group Irving will lead next year, and it's the group he could lead for the foreseeable future, if he decides to remain in Boston. Brown and Tatum are both future stars, and both Gordon Hayward and Horford have made All-Star teams in the past. But Irving has a ring, and he made the biggest shot in Cleveland Cavaliers' history during the 2016 NBA Finals. When this year's team lost its offensive rhythm in the playoffs, they clearly missed Irving -- one of the best iso players in the league, capable of creating for himself in essentially any situation.

Irving could be the no-questions-asked leader of a championship-caliber team in a big market if he remains in Boston. For the Celtics, that will be a hefty part of their sales pitch, and it's part of the reason recent rumors about the New York Knicks ring so hollow. Sure, New York is a new opportunity, but the Knicks are far from contenders, and they are unlikely to reach that status even if they somehow acquired Irving. The Celtics are a different story.

"That's what makes it even more exciting and the challenge is now we have championship pedigree," Irving said. "They have experience, our young guys, that sometimes other young guys in the league aren't necessarily afforded. They gained a lot of experience, and now it can only help us going forward."

Irving won't sign the max extension for which he is eligible this summer -- logically and financially, it would make little sense, and he confirmed his plan to hit unrestricted free agency on Tuesday. From there, the Celtics will hope what they can offer squares with what Irving wants.

"I would just say the consistency, the authenticity, and honesty, from everything that we're doing as a team and an organization," Irving said. "And doing something bigger than myself -- that's what we all compete for."

Does he have that in Boston?

"For sure," Irving said. "For sure. And young guys that literally have that drive, they have that desire to be great. I could't be more proud of what they experienced -- I mean, they went to Game 7 of the frickin' Eastern Conference finals."

In that Game 7, the Celtics came up short despite an impressive defensive performance, putting together one of the worst offensive showings of the postseason. Watching the Celtics clank three after three, it was difficult not to envision what might happen with a superstar who could create his own shot in the lineup.

That's what Irving wants to talk about now.

"I think you guys can feel my attitude is really just redemption next year," Irving said. "Really integrating myself with our team again and really focus on winning a championship. That's the only thing I'm really worried about. Until I get to that point, then I can't really answer any questions. I'm pretty sure management and I will have a talk, but that talk won't happen now."