Age and Position Separates Kyrie Irving From Other Targets
It might be tough to make sense of the trade for Kyrie Irving, but age and position must have been a factor
Danny Ainge has finally made the blockbuster trade that everyone has been calling for. The problem is that he had to give up significantly more than any other superstar traded for this offseason, and there were a lot of trades.
Jimmy Butler, Paul George and DeMarcus Cousins all went for pennies compared to what the Celtics gave up, and now everyone is questioning why the Celtics gave up so much more for Kyrie Irving, when they certainly had the assets to get any of those other three for cheaper.
The first thing you have to look to is the age. Irving being three years younger than Isaiah Thomas was probably a major factor in the trade. 25 years old is also two years younger than those other three players.
Two years may not seem like that big of a difference, but Ainge is not being shortsighted here. Ainge has now brought in two superstars this offseason that will be playing in their prime when Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown are ready to start theirs.
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All the other players mentioned will start to fall off during the primes of the two best young players on this team, and getting two more years of that core with Irving could be the difference of contending for a championship for two more seasons.
Ainge always keeps the future in mind, and it is not a fluke that he traded for the youngest major player available this offseason.
The other factor is also related to Tatum and Brown. Both Butler and George play the exact same position as those two, and the Celtics are clearly invested in their young prospects. Ainge saw that the team’s best talent is in their wings, and getting that young star for the back court would complete the team a lot more.
Bringing in another wing would not have hurt this team, but it would have pushed Tatum and Brown back at least a bit, and that could impact the way they develop.
That does not say much about Cousins, because the Celtics do not have that talent in their front court. Cousins, however, was never anywhere near Boston’s radar, and they clearly do not have enough faith in him as a player.
It is hard to make a lot of sense of this trade right now. They lost one of their most important defensive players in Jae Crowder, and what could end up being the best asset in the Nets trade.
This is the exact kind of haul that people had to anticipate the Celtics giving up in trading for a superstar, it is just incredibly surprising to see that it is Irving.
Now, the Celtics can look forward to a team that is ready to win now. Irving and Gordon Hayward are at the beginning of their prime, Al Horford is still at the end of his. Marcus Smart will continue to have a massive impact as he approaches his prime and there is immense young talent all over the bench.
What is even more exciting, however, is once the core of Irving, Smart, Tatum and Brownare all in their prime. By doing this trade Ainge has solidified a core that is going to be able to grow together, and because of his age and position, they will always be able to stay in tact, without ever getting in each others ways.
Stevens will not have to force any players in uncomfortable positions. They are embracing as many wings as possible, but with their two best young players at the wing, it could transform the future of this team to have that kind of talent at the guard position, at a time when Thomas, George, Butler and Cousins could all be declining.
The Celtics sacrificed a lot, but that does not take away from what Irving is. There is no doubting that the Celtics will miss every single piece of this trade that they gave up. It is beyond gut wrenching to have to see Thomas in a Cavaliers uniform after everything he did for this team last season.
That being said, there is so much more to get excited about with Irving now. With Brad Stevens guiding him through his prime, we could be on the verge of seeing the best of Irving’s career.