This pre-season for the NBA has definitely been one for the books. Insane rumors, tons of drama, and trade deals that no one ever saw coming. At the forefront of this drama for any New England sports fan has been the trade between the Cleveland Cavaliers and the Boston Celtics. This culmination of events has turned out to be one of the most dramatic and confusing of this pre-season. So, I’ll break it down for you.
Who is Kyrie Irving?
Kyrie has been a stud in the NBA since he was drafted first overall from Duke in the 2011 NBA Draft to the Cleveland Cavaliers. He has been named “Rookie of the Year”, an NBA All-Star MVP, and won and NBA Championship with the Cavs in 2016. Basketball junkies were shocked when Kyrie asked for the Cavs to trade him this past Summer. Looking at his most recent season’s statistics, Kyrie averaged 25 points per game, was 90% from the free throw line, and started every single one of the games that he played in. Like I said, he’s a stud.
Why Do We Want Him on the Celtics?
Although this has been an emotional time for many Celtics fans, it’s undeniable that having Kyrie in the starting lineup is unreal. Kyrie plays the same position as Isaiah at point guard, he has been exposed to star-talent during his time on the Cavs, and he will bring a professional and elite energy to the Celtics. Kyrie is also a seasoned veteran of the NBA Finals. Having him on the roster will show the youngins like Jaylen Brown, Terry Rozier, and Jayson Tatum how to be leaders on the court and how to play a higher caliber game. Another reason he is a good fit for the Celtics right now is because Isaiah Thomas’ contract is up next year. With Thomas’ performance last season and in the playoffs, he will be looking for a max contract that the Celtics are not able to fund. This means that Isaiah would prob leave anyways so we might as well get someone good for him while we can. Kyrie still has two years left on his contract, so that’s something the Celtics don’t have to worry about for the time being. Unreal.
What Were The Details Of The Trade?
Some people who know zero about basketball could look at the details of this trade and think that the Celtics got screwed. Don’t listen to them. I personally think that the Celts gave up too much, but come on, it’s Kyrie Irving we’re talking about here. The initial details of the trade were that the Cleveland Cavaliers got Isaiah Thomas, Jae Crowder, Ante Zizic, and the Nets’ 2018 First Round Pick in return for Kyrie Irving coming to Boston. Now since the deal has been finalized, the Celtics also threw in the Heat’s 2020 Second Round Pick. I’ll talk later about why the Celts threw that other pick into the mix. A lot of Boston fans saw a trade involving Crowder coming due to some crazy drama that happened between Jae and Gordon Hayward during this past season. There was no way that they would play well together. Boy bye.
Why Does Everyone Care So Much About Isaiah Leaving?
Celtics fans are notorious for getting too emotionally attached to their players. Sports analysts have been saying that the Celtics have been “rebuilding” since Pierce and Garnett left in 2013. Watching our young and unpredictable team grow and develop has been rewarding and exciting. Isaiah was a player that instantly gelled with the existing team and coaching staff. Above all, every Celtics fan remembers the play-off game that Thomas played the day following the death of his sister. In this game versus the Bulls, Isaiah dropped 33 points in 38 minutes. Basically doing the impossible- fighting through mental and emotional pain to perform for the good of his team. Long story short, Boston sports fans love Isaiah’s heart and passion. We’re all sad to see him go, especially since he just reported experiencing a growth spurt for the first time like ever over this past Summer. Damn it.
Why Did the Trade Almost Not Go Through?
Okay so just when Boston sports fans finally came to terms with losing our beloved Isaiah, rumors arose that the trade would possibly not go through. Last season, Isaiah injured his hip. This was why he didn’t play in the rest of the post-season play off games. He claimed that his hip was fine and that he wouldn’t consider himself injured at this point in time. The officials who conducted a physical on Thomas felt differently. This is where that pick from the Heat comes into play. Basically, Boston threw that pick to the Cavs to compensate for the fact that Isaiah’s hip injury is still present.
All in all, I think most New Englanders would agree that we’re sad to see the King of the Fourth go. Isaiah has embodied what it means to be a Boston Celtic during his time on the team. However, it’s exciting to imagine what this season will be like with Hayward and Irving in the starting line up. After finally coming to terms with all of this change, I’m ready to see what the Celtics will bring to the NBA this year. We’ll miss you Isaiah but let’s frickin go Celtics!