Danny Ainge on Kyrie's commitment to Celtics: 'It's more like an engagement...we're getting married July 1'

Kyrie Irving sent some shockwaves around the NBA landscape when he didn't re-affirm his commitment to Boston last week in New York, but Danny Ainge does not sound fazed by those remarks. In his weekly interview with Toucher and Rich on 98.5 the Sports Hub, the Celtics president expressed confidence in Irving's future while using an analogy to discuss the team's current plans with the All-Star.

“The way I view the situation is, I think a lot of people because of Kyrie’s announcement beginning of the year, thought that there was a marriage,” Ainge said. “I think it’s more like an engagement and we’re going to get married on July 1. And I think that engagement is still on as far as I know in my individual conversations with Kyrie; we're still engaged but we can’t make those vows, sign that contract until July 1."

Ainge also discussed the fact that he and Irving have talked since that surprising press conference in New York

"Yeah, we've had a couple of different conversations," he said. "Better than the mood of that initial press conference. I don't really know all that was going on with him, but we did have some good conversations."

So if everything is still all good between the two sides, why exactly did Irving not express that fact while talking to reporters at Madison Square Garden.

"I think you'd have to ask Kyrie those questions," Ainge explained. "I think he's -- I don't know. I think he doesn't like his name in all these rumors and associated with all these other players. I think he likes to be his own man, have his own mind and own opinions. I feel like that on July 1 that he stays here and that's what we are shooting for. We still have a date on July 1."

BSJ Analysis: The comments echo the message that has been coming out of the Celtics camp over the past couple weeks in the midst of all the Anthony Davis speculation, but it's telling that Ainge is willing to talk about it so publicly. While it's reassuring for the fanbase to hear that Irving has not backed away from his commitment behind closed doors with Ainge, there's no reason for him not to put on a public face of optimism, for morale standards and to re-assure the Pelicans that his long-term aspirations (i.e. teaming up Davis and Irving) remain very much in play.

A lot of the future of this franchise now lies in Irving's hands and we probably will not know for awhile what got into him that day at Madison Square Garden. Perhaps he wanted to send a message to his teammates and the front office to keep him from getting too comfortable. Maybe all the rumors swirling just had him in a mood that day. No matter what is was, it's hard not to think it was calculated in some form. Irving hadn't spoken to the media in several days for that press conference and he had to know what was coming.

Either way, from a Celtics standpoint, they survived the collateral damage of his remarks since Davis has not been dealt anywhere just yet. They will get a shot at him this fall and may very well need him to secure Irving's long-term commitment. Either way, Ainge's original plan of attack still remains in play and the remainder of this season will determine just how aggressive Ainge will need to be in June and July to see it out.