Kyrie Irving Traded To Boston Celtics For Isaiah Thomas And More
In a summer full of blockbuster NBA trades, tonight’s deal may have been the biggest one of the offseason.
Kyrie Irving is on his way to Boston, dealt to the Celtics for a package of All-Star Isaiah Thomas, Jae Crowder, Ante Zizic, and Brooklyn’s 2018 first-round pick.

For Boston, a total roster overhaul is near completion. Marcus Smart, Jaylen Brown, Terry Rozier, and Al Horford will be the only returning players from last year’s team. Don’t expect another trade from General Manager Danny Ainge, but this move frees up two roster spots for players on minimum contracts. Some possible names to consider: Tony Allen, Roy Hibbert, Boris Diaw, James Michael-McAdoo, Kris Humphries, and a returning Gerald Green.
Another factor of this for the Celtics has to have been the uncertainty surrounding Thomas. As good as he was last year, and as popular as he was among the fans, there are many concerns with him — he’s 29 years old, seeking a five-year max contract, he can’t play defense, and he is recovering from a brutal hip injury, which is very notable considering how reliant his game is on athleticism.
The key for Cleveland was the fact that they remain a viable competitor for Golden State, while also adding multiple pieces that will help them out in the long-run. If rumors are true, LeBron James has already decided that he’s going to depart from Cleveland next summer. But getting the Brooklyn pick makes them much more flexible when the Trade Deadline comes around- LeBron may want out, but if he decides that he’s willing to stick around, they can use that pick to acquire another star to help in their pursuit to dethrone Golden State. If he does what most expect him to do and signals he’s on his way out, Cleveland can hang onto the pick and get a young piece in the 2018 Draft.
This trade shows that all loyalty in the NBA has perished- and that’s not necessarily a bad thing. Isaiah Thomas, on one of the most team-friendly contracts in the NBA, averaged nearly 30 points per game, carried their entire offense, played excellently in the playoffs with his injury while grieving the tragic death of his sister, recruited Gordon Hayward, and was promptly told to pack his bags for Cleveland. People love to point to guys like Hayward and Kevin Durant as examples of how devotion in the league is gone, but never point to the executives that trade away players like Thomas- when that happens, it’s just because “it’s a business.”
Luckily for fans, nobody is going to have to wait long to see these teams battle- they will face off on October 17th, in the first game of the NBA season. On October 17th, the two powerhouses of the Eastern Conference face off- both with totally different rosters- and both with much more emotional investment.


