NBA: 5 biggest takeaways from Kyrie Irving-Isaiah Thomas trade

4. Danny Ainge feels good about trade

Before the Irving trade finally materialized, the Celtics were interested in a couple of other All-Star caliber players. The names in question were Paul George, Jimmy Butler and DeMarcus Cousins — all of which have been dealt to different teams.

One of the primary reasons Ainge opted not to move forward in either of those scenarios was because he didn’t want to give up a haul for their services.

This seems rather odd considering he gave up three players and a future first round pick in order to acquire Irving. Even though it seems the Celtics gave up a lot, as was the case with Gordon Hayward, Ainge is of the opinion that Irving is worth the hefty price tag.

"“It is a high price tag,” Ainge told ESPN. “But acquiring a 25-year-old perennial All-Star, a player that fits a timeline for us and is a fantastic offensive player, one of the best offensive players in the league, you have to pay a heavy price.”"

Obviously, time will tell which team got the better end of this deal. In the short-term though, it appears the Cavs came away as the big winners from this trade.