The Cavaliers have been trying to find suitors for their superstar point guard Kyrie Irving ever since he said he wanted out of Cleveland. Now, they have found a team that few expected.
The trade involves the Boston Celtics, who finished atop the Eastern Conference last season, only to be beaten by the Cavaliers in five games in the conference final.
The Celtics, still benefitting from a blockbuster trade with the Brooklyn Nets a couple of years ago, had plenty of assets to offer for Irving, who came with a hefty price tag.
The agreed upon trade is Irving for Isaiah Thomas, Jae Crowder and Ante Zizic, plus a host of draft picks.
Thomas is a dynamic point guard in his own right, known for his clutch offensive performances late in the game. Small forward Crowder will be a luxury for Cleveland, coming off the bench as a backup to LeBron James.
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The Celtics had already acquired possibly the most sought-after free agent this off season, Gordon Hayward, seemingly completing an extraordinary rebuild of their playing roster. At that time, Hayward was joining Thomas and centre Al Horford to form a brand new ‘big three’ and a new, legitimate contender in the East.
Now, with Irving ready to don the famous green uniform, the Celtics will be primed to make a deep run in the playoffs (if they weren’t already).
Reports are also circulating that the Cavaliers are coming closer to securing Dwayne Wade’s services from a struggling Chicago Bulls franchise. LeBron is said to be fairly confident that at some stage this season, he and Wade will reunite in Cleveland after playing together for the Miami Heat.
The Cav have all but fallen from the race to secure another legitimate superstar, however they have signed former MVP Derrick Rose, Veteran Jose Calderon and Jeff Green to bolster their roster.
With rumours continuing to build that James will be leaving his beloved Cavaliers again at the end of the season, it is a ‘win now or never’ mentality for the franchise.
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