Kyrie Irving Reportedly 'Preparing' to Sign With Nets in Free Agency

Kyrie Irving is one of the most coveted free agents on the open market, but it seems he may not be available for too much longer.

Despite the plethora of teams interested in acquiring Irving's services, the Brooklyn Nets have emerged as a frontrunner. And per the Boston Herald, the deal is as good as done, with Irving having plans to join the Nets when he becomes a free agent on the evening of June 30.

A major hint as to Irving's destination came when it was revealed that he was planning to sign with Roc Nation, a sports agency owned by Jay-Z who has significant pull within the Nets organization. Earlier in the week, Irving parted ways with agent Jeff Wechsler.

Irving can't officially sign with the Nets until July 6 at noon, following the NBA moratorium, and until that point he can still hear offers from other teams and even possibly backtrack on his reported 'decision.'

If Irving is truly on the precipice of joining the Nets, the Celtics should be hard at work identifying their ideal target to replace him. Perhaps D'Angelo Russell could wind up coming to Boston should he feel that Irving will cause him to take a backseat in Brooklyn.

It remains to be seen what the Nets' plans for the rest of free agency are, but if the Herald's sources are accurate, they've already landed their priority target.