Looks like we have a split board on this trade~

[Chris22]

During the playoffs I wished that Irving was a Celtic.
I created this.

TP.....you , me , and CBS too.

TP, you.
Kyrie killed us in the playoffs.
So glad we are no longer the 98 lb weakling of the NBA.

[Boston Garden Leprechaun]

IF stevens can make heros out of cast offs like Crowder, IT and Turner .......turning turds into candy

Wonder what he can do with Tatum , Irving , and Hayward ...

Im stoked.

MY BODY IS READY!!!!!!!!!!

TMI ....

LOL

[Boston Garden Leprechaun]

During the playoffs I wished that Irving was a Celtic.
I created this.

TP.....you , me , and CBS too.

TP, you.
Kyrie killed us in the playoffs.
So glad we are no longer the 98 lb weakling of the NBA.

yup. he destroyed us at will.  Can hardly wait to get my NBA league pass! WOOOOOOOOOOOOO!

[tarheelsxxiii]

If he doesn't match IT's production from last year, or isn't: a) a reliable force in the regular season and playoffs, b) an effective 'closer' in tight games, and c) healthy for 3/4ths of the season, I'm going to come troll all of you people.

[KGs Knee]

I'm going to come troll all of you people.

Typical for a Tarheel fan. You guys are the worst, absolute worst in sports, hands down. Lakers fans are more admirable than ya'll.

Oh how it must be killing you that we now have two Duke players.

Hahahaha!

[tarheelsxxiii]

I'm going to come troll all of you people.

Typical for a Tarheel fan. You guys are the worst, absolute worst in sports, hands down. Lakers fans are more admirable than ya'll.

Oh how it must be killing you that we now have two Duke players.

Hahahaha!

Hah.  It kinda does, but it's also admittedly comforting.  For as much as I dislike the team, I trust the players coach K molds.  Both seem like high-character losers.   

Are you a Duke fan?  I have to admit, your screen name always made me think of Tanya Harding for some strange reason. 

[crimson_stallion]

If Lakers pick is #1 then its Sixers pick. #2-#5 Celtics pick, #6-#30 Sixers pick

Brook Lopez > Sean Kilpatrick ....you realize you compared C to PG?

If you wanna compare Nets and Lakers:

Jeremy Lin........................Lonzo Ball
DeAngelo Russell...............Kentavious Caldwell Pope
Rondae Hollis-Jefferson......Brandon Ingram
Travis Booker....................Julius Randle
Timofey Mozgov................Brook Lopez
Levert, Crabbe, Carroll.......Clarkson, Kuzma, Zubac

Lakers are clearly more talented team, but West-East factor and youth could result that Nets got more wins.

But man...learn about protections on picks. Greetings from Croatia

No chance...that Nets roster is so bad...so, so bad...

Though I do believe the nets added whats his name - that Crowder-like player who used to be in Atlanta,  Demare Carroll.  I think he might be the best player on the team in complete honesty.  I think he is legitimately the only two-way player on the entire roster.

[crimson_stallion]

For me the biggest thing here is not that we have Kyrie, but that we have Kyrie AND Hayward.

For real, this is the first time since the Big 3 era that we have had a legit #2 scoring option on our team.  Last year our offense used to fall off a cliff the instant Thomas went to the bench because out next best scorers were Avery Bradley, Jae Crowder and Al Horford - who are all wildly inconsistent on offense.  Now when Kryie goes to the bench we will have Gordon Hayward - a man legitimately capable of carrying a team every night - still on the floor.  Our offense should show little (if any) drop off from one timeout to the next.  We should finally be able to play competitive basketball for 48 minutes.

Reminds me of 2008 - when Paul Pierce would be killing opposing teams.  Then when he'd finally sit down, we'd just throw the ball in to KG and the poor Edited for profanity.  Please do not do it again.s would suffer all over again. 

[KGs Knee]

I'm going to come troll all of you people.

Typical for a Tarheel fan. You guys are the worst, absolute worst in sports, hands down. Lakers fans are more admirable than ya'll.

Oh how it must be killing you that we now have two Duke players.

Hahahaha!

Hah.  It kinda does, but it's also admittedly comforting.  For as much as I dislike the team, I trust the players coach K molds.  Both seem like high-character losers.   

Are you a Duke fan?  I have to admit, your screen name always made me think of Tanya Harding for some strange reason. 

Duke fan since I was a young boy, 30 some odd years ago (I did not go to school there).  Born in Raleigh, parents are both NC State alumni.  Made them furious, I thought it was funny.  One of my uncles, and his wife, are both UNC alumni.

Interestingly, Kyrie is one of the few Duke players I don't care much for.  But I'm giving him another chance, so we'll see.

[greece66]

I just gave CoachBo at TP

[RockinRyA]

To me, the calculus is very simple.

The C's gave up Thomas plus a lot more to get Irving.

For this trade to be a success, Irving has to be as good as "Thomas plus a lot more" going forward.

Now, if Thomas' hip proves to be an impairment to him or he ages badly and his play drops off signficantly, then maybe that threshold isn't all that high.   Maybe Irving just needs to be the same player he has been.

But if Thomas returns to full health and produces at anywhere close to the rates and efficiencies that he has the last couple of years, then Irving simply _has_ to be massively better than the latter has been in his own recent years.   

Because it isn't going to be just Thomas' lost productivity that he is measured against.   He'll be measured against Thomas plus whatever value the Cavs get from Crowder, Zizic and of course, the BKN18 pick.   The latter doesn't even have to be a top 5 pick to have pretty significant value.

Is the trade a bet ON Irving (that he will elevate his game way beyond what it has been)? 

Or is it a bet against Thomas (that he will decline significantly)?

It could be this simple.


Kyrie Irving ~= Isaiah Thomas


Kyrie costs $18 million this year, $20 million the next.  He'll probably cost $28-30 million for the next 5 years after that.


Isaiah Thomas costs $8 million this year, and probably $30 million for the next 4 years after that.


If Ainge thinks Kyrie is going to play at an All-Star level for the next 6 years, while Isaiah will only be at that level for the next 3 years, it's easy to see the math for the value of the trade.



But to me, to justify the emotional gut-punch aspect of the trade, the bad taste it leaves in the mouth to exchange the guy who was the heart of the team for the sourpuss crossover artist on the team that we hate, Kyrie needs to take his game to another level.  He needs to become a James Harden type offensive superstar who can carry a team.

Otherwise all the trade has accomplished is upgrade the team on paper, and extend the window of the core a year or two, while making them significantly less fun to watch and root for.

I agree. It doesnt have to be IT+a lot more immediately. I think it has to weighed on Kyrie 5-7 years vs IT 3 years.

The thing that p---es me off about this trade though, is we traded a guy who wanted to win as much as he can and want to be here, even recruiting players better than him (Durant) vs the guy who traded winning for a chance to be the best player on the team.

[SHAQATTACK]

very rare to be in aposition asset wise and timing wise to get a young player as good as Irving. 

The rest of the guards his caliber are all signed to long term contract and aren't moving .

Other GMs seem to rather give their star players away to another team than deal with Danny on realistic trade or just somewhat better offer of Dannys for their player.   Seems to be an un written rule , when dealing with Danny , if he wants a player he has to sell the house or they will just rather sell low to anybody else than trade fair with Danny.

Given what happen ed to Cousins , George and Butler .  Seems Danny did not want to risk another star being given away to another team for way less.   So he offered the deal that ensured they would not snub him.

Seems to be the attitude , either give us your best assets or we would just rather take less from anybody else . Kinda lools,like to me there is a resentment by a good amou t of GMs in dealing equally with DA..

I think the recent failed history of Danny trying to get stars on a fair trade, made him overpay to get Irving .   Not sure what he can do to change this attidue of  I 'drather give the asset away for less  than take a fair offer from DA,

[The Oracle]

While the optics of this trade are awful, the trade itself was excellent.  An injured I.T. on a 1 year contract isn't worth 25% of Kyrie.  The Cavs likely won't resign I.T. either.  Under the circumstances I trade a big stiff center in Zizic, a solid wing in Crowder, an injured I.T. and the Brooklyn pick which is most likely to end up in the 4-8 range all day everyday for Kyrie.

[Celtics4ever]

The board didn't like a lot of stuff in the past that turned out ok.   Like trading KG and PP, trading AW and yet here we are. 

Some people would complain even if we traded Nader straight up for Anthony Davis.  I realize that is not going to happen talentwise, capwise, etc.  But it illustrates a point that nothing Ainge does is going to make everyone happy.

[Androslav]

I'm going to come troll all of you people.

It is pretty sad that you would rather be right and Celtics don't win than wrong and Celtics win the conference/chip with Danny once again (for the 87th time in a row) winning a trade.
That written thought disqualifies you as a Celtic fan in my book.
Please concentrate on exclusive "cheering" for your Tar Heels.