Terry Rozier reveals what he texted Kyrie Irving before NBA free agency

NBA free agency is often a stressful time for players, but a pair of Boston Celtics guards emerged as two of the biggest winners of the madness despite enduring through a disappointing 2018-19 season.

Celtics starting point guard Kyrie Irving and backup point guard Terry Rozier were among the top free agents available before the market opened the night of June 30. In an interview with Jonathan Abrams of Bleacher Report, Rozier revealed he texted Irving before the craziness of free agency began.

"A lot of people don't know how great of a person he is. A lot of people think I hate Kyrie," Rozier told Abrams. "And a lot of people think that me and Kyrie not cool, but we text, and I text him right before free agency. I sent him the eyes, and he sent the eyes right back, basically like you know what it's going to be."

Irving departed Boston to take his talents to the Brooklyn Nets on a four-year near-max contract. He'll team up with superstar forward Kevin Durant and veteran center DeAndre Jordan on a Nets team that should become a top NBA Finals contender once KD recovers from the Achilles injury he suffered during the 2019 NBA Finals as a member of the Golden State Warriors.

Rozier went to the Charlotte Hornets on a three-year, $58 million contract as part of a sign-and-trade that sent star guard Kemba Walker to the Celtics. The 25-year-old guard was fortunate to earn a contract worth nearly $20 million after his lackluster 2018-19 season in which he averaged 9.0 points per game on 38.7 percent shooting.

Irving and Rozier both failed to deliver for the Celtics last season, and even though both of them left Boston over the summer, the pressure on these guards isn't going to subside anytime soon. Irving must prove he's capable of being a better leader and build better relationships with younger players. Rozier has to prove he's worthy of being a starting point guard and the salary that accompanies the role.

Both of them certainly have plenty of motivation to play at a high level and prove their doubters wrong during the 2019-20 campaign.