Report: Celtics believe Irving wants to stay long term

Kyrie Irving made some nebulous comments about his future in recent weeks, but apparently, the Boston Celtics aren't worried.

According to Adam Himmelsbach of The Boston Globe, Celtics executives believe Irving is happy in Boston and that he wants to re-sign next summer with a long-term deal.

However, the executives also cautioned that anything can happen between now and 2019, when Irving can become an unrestricted free agent.

The point guard ruffled some feathers during a series of interviews last week when he said it didn't make financial sense to sign an extension this summer. His comment was largely based on finances, as there's a difference of nearly $90 million in lost potential earnings between re-signing as a free agent in 2019 or extending this summer. Nevertheless, it prompted some discussion as to where Irving might play beyond next season.

Boston added Irving last summer, and he promptly led the team to 55 wins in 2017-18. However, he underwent a knee procedure in March and missed the entirety of the Celtics' playoff run that saw them fall one win short of reaching the NBA Finals.

In 60 games this past season, Irving averaged 24.4 points, 3.8 rebounds, and 5.1 assists while shooting 49 percent from the field and 41 percent from deep.