Danny Ainge blew up the Eastern Conference after trading Isaiah Thomas and some for Kyrie Irving
It seemed as though all blockbuster trades were done for the offseason. And then…boom!! The Boston Celtics and the Cleveland Cavaliers make the craziest trade of the Summer.
The Celtics are trading Isaiah Thomas, Jae Crowder, Ante Zizic, and the Brooklyn Nets’ 2018 first-round pick for Kyrie Irving. Danny Ainge finally pulled the plug on the Nets’ pick.
Initial reactions seemed content with this deal, until the draft pick was inserted. It seems as though the Celtics may have given up too much for a “taller Isaiah Thomas.” On the flip side, Danny Ainge was able to bring Gordon Hayward and Irving to Boston, and that sounds pretty darn good.
It seems perplexing and bizarre that this trade happened between last year’s Eastern Conference Finals’ opponents. It is strange to picture Thomas in a Cavs uniform, and just as strange to picture Irving in a Celtics’ uniform.
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These two teams are still the top two squads in the East, and even weirder, they have a date on October 17th at Quicken Loans Arena.
Although this is a business, you have to feel for Thomas. He poured his heart and soul into this franchise and city. What he did in the playoffs last season, despite the loss of his sister, was remarkable and unbelievable (and those words don’t even do it justice).
He embraced being the “little guy” for a historic franchise, loved being the face of the Celtics, was a free agent recruiter, and was ecstatic for the future that was to come. Along with Crowder, Thomas helped build this organization up, and now they don’t get to be a part of the next level to come.
Did Danny really not want to pay Thomas? Was he worried about his injury? Did he want to rid himself of Thomas’ defensive liability? Thomas was part of an organization that was on the rise, and was looking to contend for years down the road. Now, he is onto a new city, a new chapter, and another hurdle to jump over. The NBA is ruthless, cold-blooded, and unmerciful.
The Celtics now have Marcus Smart, Al Horford, Jaylen Brown, and Terry Rozier as the remaining players from last year’s roster. It will be hard to recognize the Boston Celtics on opening night with all the new faces.
With the departures of Avery Bradley and Crowder, Smart and Brown become extremely important pieces on the defensive end. Jayson Tatum will also see big minutes in his rookie year.
A new defensive chemistry will have to be developed and rim protection is still somewhat of an unaddressed issue. Most importantly, the Celtics will need to develop a new identity.
This trade will take a while to sink in. The emotions surrounding the trade, and the fact that it was between these two teams makes it unlike any other. And the coveted Nets’ pick is gone.
At the end of the day, the Celtics do get Irving. He is 25, Thomas is 28. Hopefully, Kyrie will play some defense in Boston because right now he isn’t much better than Thomas in that department.
Will this bolster the Celtics over the Cavs and into the NBA Finals? That is the big question that we will all need to find and answer for as the season unfolds. Remember #23 is still on the Cavs.
Take a deep breath Celtics’ fan, Danny Ainge just blew our minds.