5 potential ripple effects from the Kyrie Irving trade
By Joe Romano
Kyrie Irving was traded to the Boston Celtics for Isaiah Thomas, Jae Crowder, Ante Zizic and the 2018 unprotected Nets’ first round pick. What happens now?
This Cleveland Cavliers and Boston Celtics trade was about more than just the players involved. To most this seems like a win-win deal for both sides.
Cleveland gets rid of Kyrie Irving, a disgruntled player who has expressed his desire to leave. Boston receives a 25-year-old All-Star point guard to continue building towards another championship and pair with newly signed All-Star Gordon Hayward.
Cleveland in return gets an All-Star point guard to replace the one that they ship out. Jae Crowder offers the team versatility and shooting for another potential Finals matchup against the Warriors. Ante Zizic is an exciting big-man prospect the Celtics were prepared to bring over after he played well against his European competition.
The biggest piece, however, may be the 2018 unprotected Nets pick. This is the final link to the disaster trade that crippled the Nets and positioned the Celtics for this current level of success. The Cavliers are hoping the Nets continue to be a league bottom feeder and this pick lands at the top of the lottery. Could Cleveland win their fifth lottery in 15 years?
A deal between two recent Conference Finals opponents almost never happens, especially when the trade involves the teams’ top players. This trade could have ripple effects internally for the Cavaliers and around the entire league.