How blockbuster trade between Cavaliers and Celtics affects Milwaukee Bucks

The Cleveland Cavaliers and Boston Celtics pulled off a blockbuster trade Tuesday night. How does the deal affect the Milwaukee Bucks now and in the future?

In the NBA, countless hours and days and years are spent planning out a course of action. Each move is carefully weighed and considered. The Milwaukee Bucks have been operating with a firm organizational philosophy as they seek to build a contender around star forward Giannis Antetokounmpo.

Sometimes, however, things happen completely out of one’s control. The way ahead becomes murkier or snaps into focus. For the Bucks, the league’s most recent blockbuster trade in a summer of shocking moves will have an impact on them that for now is not completely clear.

Weeks after news got out that Cleveland Cavaliers All-Star Kyrie Irving wanted to be traded, the Cavs pulled the trigger on a trade with the unlikeliest of partners — the other participant in the Eastern Conference Finals last year, the Boston Celtics.

Boston will send to Cleveland their own All-Star point guard, Isaiah Thomas, along with veteran forward Jae Crowder, rookie Ante Zizic and Brooklyn’s unprotected first round pick.

The Celtics will add Kyrie Irving to their completely remodeled team, of which only four players remain from last year’s team — Marcus Smart, Terry Rozier, Al Horford and Jaylen Brown. Together with Gordon Hayward, the team will boast two All-Stars who played on different teams last season, the first time that has happened since the Cleveland Cavaliers added LeBron James and Kevin Love in 2014.

While the trade has been both graded and analyzed for both of the teams involved, the move has shockwaves for the rest of the league as well. Specifically, how does this trade affect the Milwaukee Bucks both now and in the future?

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The Bucks have not won a playoff series since 2001, and teams rarely make the leap from first round exit to NBA champion. After five straight years of flipping between the postseason and the lottery in alternating seasons, the Bucks have to prove to their fans and themselves that they can be a consistent playoff presence.

Therefore, whatever short-term impact the trade has is of little impact to Milwaukee. The move most likely improves Cleveland slightly in the regular season, adding three players who will all want to win every game. Boston swaps those same players into Irving, who is younger than Thomas but only turns up the effort for big games and the postseason.

It’s therefore reasonable to expect Cleveland to be the favorite for home-court advantage and the best record in the East. If Milwaukee improves slightly on its finish last season, as they are projected to do by many, that could mean a fourth or fifth place finish and a second round meeting with Cleveland. But that is a long way off and plenty of variables could still come into play.

In the postseason itself, the Bucks would not be favored in either series – before or after the trade. Assuming Jabari Parker comes back fully healthy, Milwaukee will be a dangerous team but still no better than third in the conference – and most likely fourth after Washington is factored in. If the Bucks meet Toronto in the postseason, however, they would almost certainly be favored this time around.

Next summer is where things begin to change. If LeBron James leaves, then Cleveland could let Thomas walk, flip Love and Crowder for assets, and rebuild with that Brooklyn pick as the centerpiece. If Irving and Love were still around, the team may have attempted to continue competing, but they almost certainly will not re-sign the 29-year old Thomas if James has packed his bags. So that eliminates a contender from Milwaukee’s path.

If James re-signs to stay in Cleveland, then the Cavaliers’ window of contention most likely begins to shrink more quickly as Thomas and James push further into their 30s. So whether LeBron stays or heads West, this move accelerates the Cavaliers’ timetable to move out of the Bucks’ path to the top.

Boston is now locking into their core for at least two seasons, and potentially longer if Irving does re-sign. How do the new-look Celtics compare to the Milwaukee Bucks in the years to come? Things have changed, and not to Milwaukee’s benefit.

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The sea of limbs that Milwaukee’s hyper-aggressive scheme presents opposing ball-handlers was nearly impossible for a player of Thomas’ size to see over. Irving is six inches taller, and undaunted by the increased height and length of the Bucks’ defenders. His ability to carve up defenses and attack the rim reaches an otherworldly level in the playoffs.

Thus Boston has extended its timeline with this move, and added a player who steps it up in the postseason. That means that Boston is clearly the team to beat in the East once LeBron James abdicates his throne. They probably would have been over the Bucks and Philadelphia 76ers either way, but by swapping Thomas for a player three years younger, they affirmed that position.

In the end, Milwaukee needs to continue to develop its roster around Giannis Antetokounmpo to become the sort of team that can challenge for the Eastern Conference crown. When it reaches that point, it will almost certainly have the best player on the court in Antetokounmpo. That means the Bucks will always have a shot.

But if they were hoping that Boston would botch its next Brooklyn selection, hitch itself to Thomas’ aging wagon, and be a more vulnerable target? Their blockbuster trade has eliminated that option. If the Celtics stay healthy, they should be the favorite in the East for seasons to come.

That means Milwaukee knows who to beat the next few seasons. As the team continues its controlled path to the top, they have the knowledge of knowing exactly who will be in their path.

Next: NBA Trade Grades: Cavaliers trade Kyrie Irving to Celtics

Well, until another blockbuster trade happens in this crazy year of trades and signings. Then the entire apple cart will be turned over yet again. Welcome to the new NBA.