REPORT: Kyrie Irving is the Knicks’ “first, second, third, and fourth choice” in 2019 free agency

The preseason may be just two-and-a-half weeks away (!!!), but if you thought we’d escaped the offseason doldrums of news coverage, you are sorely mistaken.

On NBC Sports’ Bulls Talk podcast, Celtics reporter A. Sherrod Blakely suggested that the Knicks have Kyrie Irving on their mind already as their top target in 2019 free agency. Actually, make that their top four targets:

“I can tell you right now: The New York Knicks, he is their No. 1 target,” Blakely said.”I’ve spoken with people within (the Knicks) organization. They have made it absolutely crystal clear to me that, if they had their pick of guys that are going to be in the free-agent market (next) summer, Kyrie would be their first, second, third, and fourth choice. He is a guy they definitely want.”

This raises a few questions.

One: What happened to Kevin Durant? Did he die? Is it already a foregone conclusion that he won’t leave the Warriors?

Two: How did a Celtics reporter get a scoop from inside the Knicks, when most of our own beat reporters can’t even do that?

Three: Is this really all that surprising, given Kyrie’s local roots and his alleged interest in the Knicks last summer?

Blakely would go on to say that, apparently, the interest is more from the Knicks than it is Kyrie, and the media is blowing it up to be a little bigger than it is at the moment (our New York media? Blow something out of proportion? Why, I never!). That reporting, likely from Kyrie’s camp, I can definitely believe.

So, uh, yeah. As I said, only a few more weeks until the actual Knicks get on the actual court and play actual preseason basketball. Rejoice!