NBA Trade Grades: Cavaliers trade Kyrie Irving to Celtics for big haul

Cleveland Cavaliers

This is only one transaction, but if the Kyrie Irving trade is any indication about Koby Altman, the Cavaliers aren’t going to miss a beat as they move past the David Griffin era.

To be clear, even a handsome haul such as this does not ensure the Cavs will be able to convince LeBron to re-sign in free agency next summer. IT possesses many of the same strengths and weaknesses as Kyrie, except he’ll be an unrestricted free agent next summer as well.

Even if the transition from Irving to Thomas is seamless, it may not be enough to close the gap on the Golden State Warriors. After bringing Cleveland its first NBA championship, LeBron couldn’t be faulted by anyone for heading West to L.A. or assembling another super-team somewhere else if the Cavs fall short again this year.

However, this is about as good a haul as could be expected for a talented player who wanted out and wouldn’t commit long-term to any team that dealt for him. Thomas, who was the league’s third-leading scorer last season at 28.9 points per game on .463/.379/.909 shooting splits, replaces the scoring punch Irving provided.

Though he’s even more of a liability on the defensive end than Kyrie was, IT is a fan favorite for a reason. He’s only a slightly better facilitator than Irving, but will help ensure the Cavaliers don’t take a step backward from Golden State in what might be Cleveland’s last chance at a title run with LeBron.

If LeBron leaves, the Cavs can either throw tons of money at Thomas to remain competitive in the short-term, or they can let the then-29-year-old walk and free up ample cap space for the future.

One of the more overlooked aspects of the deal is the addition of Jae Crowder. Against the Warriors in the Finals, it was painfully obvious the Cavs needed someone to guard Kevin Durant and spare LeBron James the extra effort on that end of the floor. By the end of almost every game, King James looked completely gassed.

No one can stop KD, especially on this loaded Warriors squad, but having a guy like Crowder who’s capable of slowing him down saves LeBron from exerting all his energy and represents a massive upgrade over the other last resort wings Cleveland had to throw at Durant.

Crowder is not a go-to wing scorer by any means at 13.9 points per game last year, but he’s a reliable 3-point shooter, converting 39.8 percent of his long range attempts. He’ll benefit from the wide open looks that defenses are forced to surrender while worrying about LeBron, IT and Cleveland’s heavy 3-point onslaught in general.

Ante Zizic might not contribute much in 2017-18, but he’s a promising 20-year-old from Croatia who can play behind Kevin Love at the 4 and ultimately represent part of Cleveland’s rebuild in the scenario where LeBron leaves and the Cavs are forced to blow the roster up.

Finally, there’s the incredibly valuable Nets pick that was included — unprotected — in this swap. That alone might have made this trade a win for the Cavaliers, especially since the 2018 NBA Draft class is absolutely stacked in the top five.

If the Cavaliers are 100 percent devoted to keeping LeBron, they could also try to swing that valuable first-rounder for another proven talent to help close the gap on the Warriors. The money would be difficult to navigate, but even in a worst-case scenario where King James abdicates his throne, Cleveland still has a strong starting point to regroup around thanks to this pick.

There’s always an inherent risk with investing in young and unproven talent through the draft, but it’s also the best way to land franchise players for nearly a decade. If LeBron leaves, the Cavaliers have a decent chance at landing a possible successor, because even if the Nets slightly improve this season, they still could wind up handing over a top-five selection in the draft lottery.

Kyrie Irving is three years younger than IT, he’s locked in for at least one more season and losing him means the Cavs could be looking at a long-term rebuild a year from now. But this is an impressive haul for a guy who wanted to leave, and it’s one that ensures Cleveland remains competitive in the East for this season while also providing the foundation for a possible rebuild.

Grade: A