The Cleveland Cavaliers are likely to ask for additional assets because of Isaiah Thomas’ health concerns, and Boston should grant their request.
There have been a long list of Boston Celtics legends that will forever be immortalized for what they brought not just to the basketball court, but to the city.
From Bill Russell and Sam Jones to Larry Bird and Kevin McHale to Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett, the Celtics’ franchise has had a long list of champions, of players who don’t falter at the first sign of defeat, and of players who represent what it means to be a resident of Boston.
Isaiah Thomas, who probably won’t make the Hall of Fame like the players above, was Boston’s current representation of toughness and grit. At 5’9″, he’s almost always the smallest guy on the court. But that doesn’t stop him from driving to the basket with a reckless abandon, and finishing with a soft touch.
During the playoff series against the Cleveland Cavaliers, Thomas lost his sister and his front tooth, but he forged ahead anyways, with the city of Boston behind him. Thomas was eventually forced to the sidelines with a hip injury, and of course Boston lost the series, but Thomas had the respect of his entire locker room, and the visiting one’s too.
That’s why it was such a surprise when the news broke that the Celtics had traded him away in a deal involving Kyrie Irving. Thomas put it all on the line, but it wasn’t enough to keep his current job in Boston. At the end of the day, the NBA is a business – sometimes a cutthroat one. For this reason, we can’t get too upset when a beloved player is traded, OR when they decide to leave for another team. Everyone acts in their own best interest, make no mistake about it.
The Cavaliers have legitimate concerns over the extent of Thomas’ hip injury. They want an additional asset from Boston, or they could threaten to veto the trade, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski. If the requested asset is reasonable, the Celtics should hand it over and close the deal.
The Boston Celtics did not lose this deal
After the details of the Cavaliers and Celtics trade were released, everyone said that Boston was fleeced in the deal. The Cavaliers received an All-Star in Thomas, two role players and Brooklyn’s unprotected pick for Kyrie Irving. Pretty lopsided, right? Well, it depends on the criteria for which we judge the trade.
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In the short-term, the Cavaliers obviously won the deal. They replaced Kyrie Irving with the only available point guard that is close to his stature in Isaiah Thomas. They also added Jae Crowder, a player that Cleveland’s 22nd-ranked defense desperately needs. Those two assets alone give Cleveland a better chance to win a title than what they had a season ago.
But adding Kyrie Irving was a future play for Boston. He’s coming off a career year, where he averaged 25.2 points and 5.8 assists on 40.1 percent shooting from 3-point range. He’s just 25 years old, and his best years are yet to come. Kyrie is arguably the best point guard in the Eastern Conference, and he is taller, younger and healthier than Isaiah Thomas.
Thomas had one year left on his contract, and he wanted the full max in 2018. It would be questionable to re-sign a 5’9″ player at 29 years old whose game is predicated on quickness to a five-year max contract. But if the Celtics didn’t offer him the max, Thomas could’ve signed elsewhere in free agency, leaving Boston with nothing to show for him.
Irving will become an unrestricted free agent in 2020, and if you’re going to offer a star point guard the max, give it to the younger player.
Make the Cavaliers happy
If the Cavaliers demand an additional asset to complete the deal, Boston should throw in an extra pick. The Boston Celtics still have a bevy of picks stretching to the 2021 NBA Draft. The Celtics have hoarded draft picks for the opportunity to land a young star like Kyrie Irving, and they can’t let him slip through their fingertips.
With Irving or Thomas leading the way in Boston, the Celtics would still be underdogs against Cleveland in a playoff series. But at an average age of 29.4 years, the oldest in the league, the Cavs’ championship window is closing. If LeBron leaves Cleveland next summer, that window will be shut, effective immediately.
With Kyrie Irving and Gordon Hayward still ascending in their respective careers, Boston has positioned itself to make a run at the Finals in the near future.
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Sure, one of those future draft picks that Boston trades away could turn into a future superstar, but we already have our future superstar in Irving. It’s always better to act in the realm of reality than in theory. For that reason, the Boston Celtics should take the proper actions to keep Kyrie Irving. He’s worth it.