Fansided

Biggest impacts of NBA stars changing teams this offseason

By Joe Romano

BOSTON, MA - JANUARY 3: Gordon Hayward #20 of the Utah Jazz shoots the ball against Isaiah Thomas #4 and Jae Crowder #99 of the Boston Celtics during the game on January 3, 2017 at the TD Garden in Boston, Massachusetts. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2017 NBAE (Photo by Brian Babineau/NBAE via Getty Images)
BOSTON, MA - JANUARY 3: Gordon Hayward #20 of the Utah Jazz shoots the ball against Isaiah Thomas #4 and Jae Crowder #99 of the Boston Celtics during the game on January 3, 2017 at the TD Garden in Boston, Massachusetts. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2017 NBAE (Photo by Brian Babineau/NBAE via Getty Images) /
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Celtics, Kyrie Irving
CLEVELAND, OH – NOVEMBER 03: Isaiah Thomas #4 of the Boston Celtics and Kyrie Irving #2 of the Cleveland Cavaliers talk on the court during the first half at Quicken Loans Arena on November 3, 2016 in Cleveland, Ohio. The Cavaliers defeated the 128-122. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory copyright notice. (Photo by Jason Miller/Getty Images) /

Teams — Cleveland Cavaliers — Boston Celtics

How did they get here? Irving was traded for Thomas, Jae Crowder, Ante Zizic, Brooklyn’s 2018 first round pick and a conditional second rounder.

What do the Celtics get? Boston finally ponied up some of their assets. The Celtics receive a 25-year-old All-Star with championship experience who’s shown he can hang with the best of the best. Kyrie Irving will pair with Gordon Hayward and Al Horford in hopes of getting Boston back to the Eastern Conference Finals.

From a pure basketball standpoint, Irving can replace Isiah Thomas’ offense and gel in Brad Stevens’ motion based offense. He also has the skill of getting a basket eve when the play breaks down. He may be the best one-on-one player in the NBA.

Irving will feast in Boston with the spacing Horford offers at the five. He also joins a team filled promising young players as well. Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown and young guards Marcus Smart and Terry Rozier are great prospects that aid the Celtics’ future. Hayward, Horford and newly acquired Marcus Morris help the present.

The Celtics may have overachieved last season with Thomas running the show. The team has been straddling the line between gathering assets for the future and competing for the current. They were in the Eastern Conference Finals while also owning the number one overall pick.

Irving, and his remaining two years on his contract, will push the Celtics closer to the NBA Finals. Unfortunately, the cost was fan favorite Isiah Thomas.

What do the Cavaliers get? Cleveland received the undersized guard as the centerpiece of the deal. This is one of the rare trades that helps Cleveland contend now while also setting up a brighter future. Kyrie Irving wanted out, and the Cavaliers still got an All-Star, a solid veteran role player, a young prospect and one of the most coveted draft picks for 2018.

On the court, Thomas will help replace Irving’s offensive loss while Crowder helps shore up one of the league’s worst defenses. Zizic has shown promise overseas but has yet to play in the NBA. The Cavaliers will struggle on defense at the point guard position with Thomas and his backups, Derrick Rose and Jose Calderon. All three are subpar defenders at this point in their career.

The piece of the trade that caused a hold up was the health of Thomas. He injured his hip last season and re-aggravated it during the Eastern Conference Finals. This injury may cause him to miss the beginning part of the season. Rose would take over point guard duties in his absence, including the first game against old foe Irving and the Celtics.

Next: Every NBA team's Mount Rushmore

If LeBron does leave Cleveland after this season, Thomas has two options. He could either stay and be the face of the Cavaliers, similarly to how he was in Boston. The other option would be to find a new home in free agency, but as this past offseason showed the market may include some tight pockets.

For this upcoming season, these two teams will likely sit atop the Eastern Conference one again. A rematch between the two for a chance to go to the Finals seems all but likely. The question will remain; has either done enough to vault them onto Golden State’s level?

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