Breaking Down the Kyrie Irving Trade

Nobody could have predicted that Kyrie Irving would leave Cleveland, the scene of his first NBA title. The Cleveland Cavaliers traded Kyrie Irving to the Boston Celtics for Isaiah Thomas, Jae Crowder, Ante Zizic and Brooklyn Nets’ 2018 first round pick.

The trade made perfect sense for the Cavs. because A, nobody knew what would have happened in that same Cavs locker room after everything that went down in these past few months. Why anyone would think that Isaiah Thomas would not get traded after playing one heck of a season in Boston is senseless. Especially when he averaged 28 points and 6 assists per game, carrying the Celtic pride on his 5-9 frame to first seed in the East. The guy gave them every reason to trade him.

On a serious note, this was not at all a bad trade for any team. Celtics got a scoring-machine in Irving, Cavs got a starting 1 in Isaiah Thomas and a much needed defensive piece in Jae Crowder. They saved a boatload of money as both Thomas and Crowder have inexpensive contracts. They also got a first round pick for the future, if LeBron chooses to leave in 2018.

The Celtics however, are going all in. They now sport a starting lineup of Kyrie Irving, Marcus Smart, Gordon Hayward, Jaylen Brown and Al Horford with more than decent bench players.This is a team whose impact will be much greater than the sum of its parts. They are finally looking like a playoff team.

Cavs vs. Celtics: The Second Coming

And now something for the fans of the game. It doesn’t take a Celtics or a Cavs fan to realise that this goes way back. The 2008 Celtics was the reason LeBron left for Miami. A decade later, LeBron faces a different Celtics squad with the same fervour. This might be (is) the only good thing that has happened so far in the east this off-season. Nothing gives hoops fans a bigger rush than some competitive playoff basketball.