Two beloved superstars from the best two teams in the Eastern Conference change hands in the trade that nobody thought would happen, right up until it did.
For months, Boston Celtics General Manager Danny Ainge had to sit quietly as the NBA community rained down insults over the Celtics’ inaction before the trade window closed. With so many assets at their disposal (thanks Brooklyn), elite coaching and an already strong core, what was Ainge waiting for? Was this mythical period of time known as ‘The Moment’ merely a catchphrase?
However, per Shams Charania, ‘The Moment’ arrived in the form of a package deal for Kyrie Irving, sending much beloved all-star Isaiah Thomas, Jae Crowder, Ante Zizic and the Nets 2018 first round pick to Cleveland.
Essentially, ‘The Moment’ Ainge had been waiting for was a situation in which he could acquire a superstar that fit into the Celtics system and salary cap without the threat of a free-agency departure.
Today, Danny Ainge proved again that he has no loyalty to anybody. The last time this trait was displayed as vividly as this, championship winners Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett and Jason Terry went to Brooklyn for the return of the brightest future in the NBA.
Although, while three championship winners are always loved, the underdog hustle of Isaiah made him particularly hard to lose.
(Image: Keith Allison CC BY-SA 2.0)
Thomas was rejected at every turn. He is just 175cm tall, picked last and traded for a bag of peanuts until he arrived in Boston, despite decent output. In Boston, Thomas battled through the tragic death of his sister, cried on the sideline in the arms of traded Avery Bradley and emitted pure courage, which won the hearts of not just Boston, but the entire NBA world.
To cap it all off, Thomas was picked last in the same draft Kyrie Irving went first.
Thomas’s shoulder now has so many chips, that it might need surgery.
Health concerns may have in fact played a role in Ainge’s decision to pull the trigger. Despite having a better season than Irving, Thomas played much of the playoffs with a hip injury.
Potentially, such an issue could take away some of his burst, which is crucial in allowing him to blow-by defenders on the perimeter and elevate for a around-the-basket finish. Thomas is also older than Irving, and would ask for a five-year max contract at the end of the upcoming season.
How many 28-year-old, 175cm point guards have been effective in the NBA? Why put so much money into guy whose best years are probably behind him?
(Image: Keith Allison/CC BY-SA 2.0)
Despite losing a valuable pick, the previous maneuvering of Ainge has allowed the Celtics to gain the Los Angeles pick in 2018, or be it with certain protections. However, it is more than likely that Boston can still acquire young talent next season.
On Cleveland’s side of the deal, new GM Koby Altman does well to cover two bases.
For the short term, the Cavaliers gets the added bonus of more depth. Jae Crowder has one of the best contracts in the league and can actually play defence, despite his moments of offensive madness. As previously discussed, Isaiah Thomas is a more than adequate Kyrie Irving replacement and can provide another season of championship contention in the LeBron James era.
Plus, while Isaiah Thomas has proven himself time and time again to be a great teammate, Kyrie is famous more for his flat-earth conspiracies than his passing.
It was a move the Cavaliers had to make, not just because of Kyrie’s demand, but also since the rumour of LeBron James’s departure was spoken into existence.
The Brooklyn pick considers the future with LeBron’s seemingly imminent move to Los Angeles in 2018 lurking in the background. Michael Porter, Luka Doncic or Marvin Bagley could all be franchise changing players that can result in a quick return to prominence for Cleveland if James decided to head out West.
Risks do come with this trade from Cleveland’s perspective. For one, the Brooklyn Nets pick may not be as good as expected.
It seems common knowledge on various NBA Facebook forums and discussion spaces, that the Nets will be bad and the first pick will now be in the hands of the Cleveland Cavaliers. However, as previously discussed on this website, Brooklyn quietly had a very good summer, leaving them with a solid starting five of Jeremy Lin, angry D’Angelo Russell, Allen Crabbe, Rondae Hollis-Jefferson and Timofey Mozgov.
Plus, the Nets have no incentive to tank. Why try to give a higher draft choice to the Cavaliers?
Another risk to the Cavaliers is the contract of Isaiah Thomas.
Although, according to Bobby Marks, it will save owner Dan Gilbert US$29.1 million in luxury tax in the short term, the possibility remains that he will leave at the same time as LeBron James. Thus, Ohio will be without any real superstars in the near future.
(EDrost88 / Flickr)
It must be said, that just like the Celtics, few teams may be willing to pay I.T. max money in a long-term arrangement.
However, Thomas could even go to a team like the Knicks, as Kyrie also considered.
That would be awesome to see. Hopefully, Knicks don’t spend US$71 million on a player like Tim Hardaway.
Too late.
By far, the biggest risk of the deal came regardless of the players involved in that culturally, such change can break a winning organisation.
The Evan Turner-Danny Granger trade in 2013 was a decent move at first for the Eastern Conference finalist Pacers.
In trading a commonly injured veteran Granger for a young Turner on a better contract, what could go wrong?
The answer is a lot.
Chemistry issues soon followed. Paul George was robbed of a mentor and Lance Stephenson had a sparring partner. Since then, the Pacers now sit in a pointless race for the eighth seed, the worst possible state of mediocrity anyone can be in.
While both teams risk destroying their locker room, the summer of upheaval for Boston has increased the risks slightly more. The loss of important teammates in Avery Bradley, Amir Johnson and Kelly Olynyk along with the Cleveland-bound Thomas and Crowder leaves the locker room in an uneasy position.
Hopefully, veterans such as Al Horford and the much lauded coaching of Brad Stevens can control a group of extremely talented players.
At this stage, the winner of this trade is unclear and it is quite possible that both teams benefit from this in both the short and long term.
If anything, the trade sets up a competitive Eastern Conference Finals, a phrase I never thought I would say a few months ago.
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