With free agency set to begin soon in the NBA, star guard Kyrie Irving is looking to figure out where he’ll spend the 2023-24 season.
As such, he’s reportedly meeting with a handful of teams on Friday. The Miami Heat will not be one of them.
There was buzz that the eight-time All-Star had a meeting scheduled with the Heat, but multiple reports are now suggesting otherwise.
NBA insider Bill Reiter broke the story about the Heat having plans to meet with Irving.
Sources tell @CBSSports that on top of Dallas and Phoenix, Kyrie Irving will meet today with Miami, Houston, the Lakers and the Clippers. Meetings will be in Los Angeles and, in a few cases, remote.
— Bill Reiter (@sportsreiter) June 30, 2023
It didn’t take long for the story to take a turn.
According to a source, Kyrie Irving is not scheduled to meet with the Heat when free agency opens.
— Anthony Chiang (@Anthony_Chiang) June 30, 2023
The Miami Heat have no meeting currently scheduled with Kyrie Irving
— Five Reasons Sports 🏀🏈⚾️🏒⚽️ (@5ReasonsSports) June 30, 2023
It’s possible that the Heat have given some internal thought to the idea of pursuing Irving, but there are some obstacles in the way. The veteran is likely seeking a lucrative contract this offseason as he figures out his next NBA chapter.
For as talented as he is, Irving is a very polarizing figure in the basketball world, both on and off the court. Availability concerns are often a topic of conversation with him, and he has some history when it comes to making headlines in his personal life.
Still, he averaged 27.1 points, 5.1 rebounds and 5.5 assists per game this past season while shooting 49.4 percent from the field and 37.9 percent from beyond the arc. He has all the tools to sign with a contender this offseason and help shape the championship picture in the NBA going forward.
But in all likelihood, it’s not going to happen with the Heat. They have other plans.
Top target Damian Lillard doesn’t appear to be available just yet. Miami is reportedly willing to “wait patiently” for Lillard as his future takes shape.
The Heat seemingly have a lot riding on the hope that Lillard will eventually be traded. If push comes to shove, Pat Riley may be willing to go into the 2023-24 season without making any major changes, but few people would probably see that as a successful offseason.
Miami made the 2023 NBA Finals and is trying to capitalize on the title window it currently has. This summer may go a long way in determining whether or not the Heat can realize their title hopes anytime soon.
