Shams: Celtics to meet soon with Kyrie Irving; Ed Davis to get paid

In his weekly “Inside Pass,” Shams Charania says Kyrie Irving will meet soon —possibly this week— to discuss his future. Irving has a player option for next season, but has said he will opt out.

All-Star Kyrie Irving, who has decided to opt out of his $21.3 million deal for next season to become a free agent, and top Celtics officials are expected to meet with him soon to discuss his future, league sources said. A potential meeting could occur before Thursday’s NBA draft sources said, as both sides could look for clarity ahead of the start of free agency on June 30.

Irving, of course, is widely rumored to be headed to Brooklyn, but can’t even agree to sign with any team, including the Celtics until June 30. He can’t sign until July 6.

Danny Ainge, the Celtics GM, has said that Irving and the Celtics have been in regular contact, but would not discuss Boston’s chances of retaining him. The Boston Globe’s Adam Himmelsbach, however, reported Monday that’s not quite so.

“The strangest part of the Irving situation right now is that it appears he has essentially ghosted on the Celtics. The people within the organization I have spoken with have made it clear that they have had little, if any, communication with Irving in recent weeks.”

Similarly, Adrian Wojnarowski said on SportsCenter that the Celtics are “almost to the point of resignation” that Irving is going to leave.

The 27-year-old is eligible for a $32.7 million starting salary next year and the Nets have cleared enough salary cap space to accommodate him. The Nets reportedly also retain interest in Kevin Durant, who Irving reportedly wants to team up with. KD will be out all of next season, according to the Warriors, having ruptured his Achilles tendon in Game 5 of the NBA Finals.

Meanwhile, Charania has some possible bad news for the Nets: Ed Davis will get paid. He writes...

Center Ed Davis is expected to be a sought-after frontcourt free agent this summer, and several teams are considering him as a multiyear signing, sources said. Davis signed a one-year deal with the Nets last offseason and had a critical reserve role for a team that made a run to the Eastern Conference playoffs as the sixth seed.

Because the Nets only signed him to a one-year, $4.4 million deal, they only have his Non-Bird Rights and can only give him a two-year, $11 million contract without going into cap space. Davis has publicly said that he wants to return to Brooklyn. Davis proved out his reputation as the best back-up center in the NBA.

He led all NBA players in rebounds off the bench (685, 8.6 per game). This season, Davis moved into second place in NBA history in career rebounds off the bench with 3,617 dating back to the 1970-71 season, when starters were first tracked.

Charania also writes that Anthony Davis was not interested in joining the Nets and accordingly, The Nets’ talks with the Pelicans “never went far, as New Orleans never truly liked the assets available, sources said.”

• Charania’s Inside Pass: The Anthony Davis trade offers, plus more NBA notes - Shams Charania - The Athletic