KNICKS NIXED
KYRIE EYES MOVE TO BROOKLYN
All-Star point guard Kyrie Irving, a long-rumored Knick target in this summer’s free agent class, is lined up to sign with the Nets, according to a Boston Herald report.
Irving dropped his agents earlier this week, with plans to sign with Roc Nation to represent him. Now, the Herald’s Steve Bulpett reports that a source with ties to Roc Nation says Irving’s plan is to join the Nets, and a separate source says the Celtics have been informed of that intent and are proceeding with the knowledge that Irving wants to play in Brooklyn.
Signing Irving would be a massive coup for the Nets, and a massive blow to the Knicks, who have watched as the vaunted free agent class has been torn to shreds by injuries and outside circumstances. Kevin Durant and Klay Thompson both suffered serious injuries in the Finals that will see them miss all or most of next season, and call their future production into question. Kawhi Leonard won a title with his current team. And Kemba Walker has stated that he would take less money to stay with the Hornets.
For the Nets, it would create something of a conundrum. Anthony Davis is apparently unmoved by the prospect of playing with Irving, and his agent says that if the Nets trade for the All-Pro forward, Davis would intend to enter free agency after one season with eyes on the Knicks and Lakers. That leaves with with choices to make about their own AllStar point guard, D’Angelo Russell, who is a restricted free agent this summer and may not pair well with Irving — though he and Spencer Dinwiddie coexisted well in Kenny Atkinson’s point guard-friendly offense.
RAPTORS PREZ ACCUSED OF SHOVING COP
Toronto Raptors president Masai Ujiri accused of shoving an officer towards the end of Game 6 of the NBA Finals.
In the moments just after the Raptors won their first title against the Golden State Warriors, and started celebrating on the court, Ujiri was stopped by an officer.
The officer stopped him from coming on the court to celebrate with the team because he didn’t have the proper credentials. Kristofer Noceda, NBC Bay area social media editor, recorded the incident and put it on Twitter.
Sgt. Ray Kelly, a spokesman for the sheriff’s office, said the NBA had asked that his officers be strict on credential policy, and that his officer was simply carrying out that directive.
“Our deputy contacted Mr. Masai Ujiri as he attempted to walk onto the court,” Kelly said according to USA Today. “He had no credential displayed, and our deputy asked for his credential. Mr. Ujiri didn’t produce them and pushed our deputy out of the way to gain access to the court.”
“At that point our deputy tried to stop him and pushed him backward and then Mr. Ujiri came back with a second shove, a more significant push that, with his forward momentum, his arm struck our deputy in the face. At that point our deputy pushed Mr. Ujiri away again and some NBA security people and others intervened and he ended up walking onto the court.”
Kelly told the officer to not pursue Ujiri because it wouldn’t be right to do that on national television when the Raptors were preparing for the postgame trophy ceremony.
He decided to submit a complaint and let the district attorney decide if charges will be brought against the Raptors president. Kelly also said that two countries are now involved in this, which makes it much more complicated.
This is a common scene at sports events, as team officials do not always carry credentials. Misunderstandings happen in the scrum. Nothing ever comes of them, and it’s unlikely that this will escalate beyond the complaint.
The Raptors are aware of this situation and did not comment.