What might Ainge be thinking?

[CelticSooner]

A year from now when IT is in the first year of his max deal and is hobbling, we will have Kyrie at a cheap deal and still have assets to add another start to the Kyrie, Hayward, Horford trio.

Trying to make a point based on an assumption IT will be hobbling doesn't work.

He knows IT's health status much better than we do. Either way, the sings for a long time now were pointing to Ainge not wanting to sign IT to a max deal.

At this point who knows what Ainge thinks. Can't get comfortable with him at the helm.

[pp34isthe1]

He was thinking that we've most likely viewed the best IT will ever be. He has a chronic hip problem that needs an operation, and he's hinting at a Max deal after this year. A year he may not even play a full season.

If you think taking the summer off has magically repaired that hip, think again.

What if his hip is fine and he plays this well again, Cleveland makes the Finals again and/or wins?

If they sweep us in the ECF or win the Finals and Draft Bagley or Porter Jr with the BRK pick then Ainge should be fired. No question.

If IT regresses, we win the ECF or take it to 7 and the BRK pick falls out of the top 2 then he should be praised.

This is a career defining trade for Ainge imo. About time he took a risk 

[Surferdad]

He was thinking that we've most likely viewed the best IT will ever be. He has a chronic hip problem that needs an operation, and he's hinting at a Max deal after this year. A year he may not even play a full season.

If you think taking the summer off has magically repaired that hip, think again.

What if his hip is fine and he plays this well again, Cleveland makes the Finals again and/or wins?

If they sweep us in the ECF or win the Finals and Draft Bagley or Porter Jr with the BRK pick then Ainge should be fired. No question.

If IT regresses, we win the ECF or take it to 7 and the BRK pick falls out of the top 2 then he should be praised.

This is a career defining trade for Ainge imo. About time he took a risk

This is a great way to look at it.  Too many people want to make a FINAL judgment on this trade 4 hours after it happened.  That's just silly, people!

[Eja117]

A year from now when IT is in the first year of his max deal and is hobbling, we will have Kyrie at a cheap deal and still have assets to add another start to the Kyrie, Hayward, Horford trio.

Much more likely IT gets paid because he's great and the Cavs pick a very good young player and we don't make the finals for years

[jambr380]

A year from now when IT is in the first year of his max deal and is hobbling, we will have Kyrie at a cheap deal and still have assets to add another start to the Kyrie, Hayward, Horford trio.

Much more likely IT gets paid because he's great and the Cavs pick a very good young player and we don't make the finals for years

If people accept that Kyrie is a better player (and the Cs are now a better team for years to come), then it kind-of puts Cleveland in a bind after this season. If they don't pay IT the max, then he will likely walk and they will be a worse team. If they do, then their luxury tax penalty will be so through the roof with the extra ~$12M they will have to pay IT over Kyrie.

This doesn't even take into account Cleveland trying to trade the pick and attempting to match contracts for a more immediate upgrade, which would further demolish their books.

I am very upset that the BKN pick had to be included, but I don't really see an avenue where Cleveland is clearly better than us after this year.

[SHAQATTACK]

uh.....

winning #18

[crimson_stallion]

A year from now when IT is in the first year of his max deal and is hobbling, we will have Kyrie at a cheap deal and still have assets to add another start to the Kyrie, Hayward, Horford trio.

Much more likely IT gets paid because he's great and the Cavs pick a very good young player and we don't make the finals for years

If people accept that Kyrie is a better player (and the Cs are now a better team for years to come), then it kind-of puts Cleveland in a bind after this season. If they don't pay IT the max, then he will likely walk and they will be a worse team. If they do, then their luxury tax penalty will be so through the roof with the extra ~$12M they will have to pay IT over Kyrie.

This doesn't even take into account Cleveland trying to trade the pick and attempting to match contracts for a more immediate upgrade, which would further demolish their books.

I am very upset that the BKN pick had to be included, but I don't really see an avenue where Cleveland is clearly better than us after this year.

The Brooklyn pick is the big worry.

Clevleand now have redundancy at the PG spot with both Rose and Thomas, and they have wanted to move on from Kevin Love for years.  By acquitting that Brooklyn pick, they now have the ability to assemble some pretty hardcore trade packages based around any/all of Kevin Love, Derrick Rose and that Brooklyn 1st.

Lets say the Pelicans, for arguments sake, decide the Davis/Cousins experiment isn't working...Cleveland could offer something like Kevin Love + Jae Crowder + Rose + Brooklyn 1st to the Pelicans for Anthony Davis + Asik.   

Pelicans now move  forward with Cousins, Love, Crowder, Rose, Holiday (and Rondo off the bench) which has surely got to be a much more competitive roster then they have right now.  And while it would be hard for them to let go of a talent like Davis, a potential top 3 pick in a loaded draft would likely help to ease that pain...and they get rid of Asik's contract as a bonus. Don't see anybody offering a better deal for David then that. 

Cleveland would then move forward with Thomas, JR Smith, Lebron, AD and TT which is a strong enough lineup to legitimately contend against the Warriors.   

Or they can keep Davis, trade Cousins + Hill to the Cavs for Love, Crowder, Rose and the Brooklyn 1st.   Now the Pelicans can move forward with Holiday, Rose, Crowder, Love, Davis while the Cavs can move ahead with Thomas, JR Smith, Lebron, Thompson, Cousins.

Either move would be Boston's worst nightmare in the East.