Shams: Cleveland and Boston have agreement on deal to send Kyrie Irving to the Celtics for Isaiah Thomas package to Cavs

[macNcheese3]

I think it is easy to slam Boston because they lack experience and grit in losing Crowder and Bradley, but if you look at this trade, it is a great move for the future.

They have three excellent players in Irving, Hayward and Horford that will keep them as divisional contenders

They have a bunch of young guys that are going to be great: Marcus Smart, Jaylen Brown Jayson Tatum.

When Golden State and Cleveland are past their primes, Irving will be leading a very strong team that is ready to win in a couple years.

The only guy who loses is Al Horford, who probably sees this team moving in a different direction.

Curious to see how Brad Stevens manages the defense with all these young guys and Irving, who is soft on defense.

Wouldn't say Smart is going to be great by any means- solid player but great yeah right.

[___Rand___]

This is an absolute steal for Cleveland, Ainge got super fleeced. Makes Cleveland even tougher to beat next year

This is an admission, a capitulation by Ainge that HE CAN'T DRAFT.

[navyblue]

Calling it now. Nets pick won't even be top 5 unless they got lucky through the lottery.

Even if D'Angelo Russell wins the MVP they'll still be the worst team in the league.

i will take the nets over the bulls 10 out of 10 times. atl, chi, knicks (depending on the return for melo) are probably worse than the nets.
you have to remember, there is no incentive for nets to lose, the other teams do, and that invariably means a few games here and there the nets will win.

[YogurtProducer]

Wow great deal for Cleveland. Honestly this is the best possible scenario for Toronto.

Bostons future gets weaker since they lose that pick and Irving might still bail. Cleveland gets better today but if LBJ bails they won't have Kyrie anymore.

[YogurtProducer]

Damn! what a crazy offseason, Raptors are like 4th or 5th in the East

How does this deal change our position at all. We're still 2nd or 3rd

[Throwback24]

I broke this news to you guys in early July if you recall. Celtics won. I had people clowning me saying, OH NO THEY WOULD NEVER TRADE WITHIN THE CONFERENCE

lol.

[NBA Sheady]

Celtics have to consider how many young players they can realistically carry at a given time as a top team in the league. They have likely had many discussions surrounding that last Nets pick and knew what it would fetch.

[CeltsfanSinceBirth]

Calling it now. Nets pick won't even be top 5 unless they got lucky through the lottery.

Yup. Not sure why people can't see this. Ainge held on to those Nets picks all those years and people chastised him for being cheap. He could have landed Butler or George, but refused to give those picks in a trade unless they were protected. Keep in mind that Ainge wasn't sending out IT in those deals either. They were only giving up expirings and maybe AB or Crowder.

Now, Ainge deals the 2018 Nets pick, unprotected, along with an All-Star PG, a promising rookie center, and a player on a great contract, all for Kyrie. Ainge and Zarren do their homework. Cleveland still probably does this deal if the Cs swap out the Lakers pick and adds the Memphis pick. But nope, Ainge lets the Cavs take the Nets pick. Something is up.

[alienchild]

Great. A trade that's bad for both teams. Ainge is wack. Off-season trades of your team leader and your 2 best defenders who had most of your grit, and no rebounding left on your team? Ugly, ugly. CLE with a now disinterested Bron and a PG whose a worse defender than Kyrie. Crowder will be a wash with JR and Bron will be in 2nd gear. Ugly, ugly.

[VinBaker6]

I broke this news to you guys in early July if you recall. Celtics won. I had people clowning me saying, OH NO THEY WOULD NEVER TRADE WITHIN THE CONFERENCE

lol.

Kyrie will embarrass Lowry again in the playoffs. We can't hide behind LBJ this time either

[PhilBlackson]

Boston gave up waaaaay to much

Hopefully the 2018 draft is awful

It's not.

The top 5 has some generational talent.

Is this actually a confirmed trade because if so Gilbert is officially the best GM in the league! lol

[The Duke]

Cavs gonna win the lotto ... or Cavs gonna send Nets pick + Crowder for a "4th"

[primopastalove2]

Huge fleece by the Cavs, IT and Kyrie is basically a wash, and they potentially get the number 1 pick in a loaded plus jae crowder.

[Basketball_Jones]

Wow great deal for Cleveland. Honestly this is the best possible scenario for Toronto.

Bostons future gets weaker since they lose that pick and Irving might still bail. Cleveland gets better today but if LBJ bails they won't have Kyrie anymore.

Things are definitely shaping up for a dynasty with the Raptors that's for sure.

[Throwback24]

I broke this news to you guys in early July if you recall. Celtics won. I had people clowning me saying, OH NO THEY WOULD NEVER TRADE WITHIN THE CONFERENCE

lol.

Kyrie will embarrass Lowry again in the playoffs. We can't hide behind LBJ this time either

Absolutely ROAST Lowry. Raptor fans know it lol... Kyrie is a better PG than Lowry. Lowry doens't play D, it comes down to who is the better offensive player and its Kyrie.

[Anticon]

Interesting trade thought it doesn't really change much for us.

Thought we were worse than both Cleveland and Boston this year and that hasn't changed. Still looking at 4-7 in the East probably.

Will be a good plotline to see how see how Irving does as a 1a option.

Frankly I don't see him in Boston long-term, so this is actually good from that perspective as it dilutes the various assets that Boston has.

[S.W.A.N]

Good trade for both teams, a little expensive for celts, giving up that pick, but getting an elite pg that is young enough to be main part of core for years is probably worth it. They arguably got younger and better with trade and still have depth.

Better trade for Cavs who got win now players to keep Lebron happy for at least this year, and got one of the most coveted assets available. 2018 draft has a lot of top end talent and the nets, while better this year, will be in the mix for top pick again.

For Toronto and rest of east, finally a little certainty. Boston has used their big chips and has a roster and Cavs have made their kyrie swap. Cavs are still the team to beat and Boston got better...

But that said, I certainly see a silver lining to this. I don't think Boston will be in that elite super team tier. They'll be good but beatable. I don't think Kyrie is as dangerous without Lebron there to run team while he goes solo. And I don't think this does anything to quash rumors that this is Lebrons last year with cavs.

If cavs do end up rebuilding that leaves the Celtics as team to beat in East... And the super teams in the west (assuming Lebron goes ring chasing) that is a win for us

[PhilBlackson]

Is this official??

Because CLE owned this trade n Gilbert is EOTY.

[dukes_wild]

Don't get this move for the Celtcs

[Kabookalu]

Betting the Cavs are going to use that pick to trade for a veteran all star at the deadline in a last ditch effort to convince LeBron to stay and win a championship.