Every morning, we compile the links of the day and dump them here… highlighting the big story line. Because there’s nothing quite as satisfying as a good morning dump.
“It is a high price tag,” Ainge said. “But acquiring a 25-year-old perennial All-Star, a player that fits a timeline for us and is a fantastic offensive player, one of the best offensive players in the league, you have to pay a heavy price.”
Pressed on the difficulty of giving up the unprotected Brooklyn pick, Ainge noted, “We valued it from the time we got it, and it’s still very valuable. Obviously, we value Kyrie more. It’s that simple.”
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Ainge said Thomas’ injury did play “some” into his making the deal. Celtics coach Brad Stevens said Monday that he is not sure Thomas will be ready for the start of training camp.
Sources told ESPN that while Cleveland is not sure when Thomas will be able to return to the court, the Cavaliers have no short-term concerns about the injury.
As he has repeatedly made clear, Thomas expects a max deal next summer as an unrestricted free agent. I’m not convinced such an offer is forthcoming given the limited number of teams who project to have cap space, but either way re-signing Thomas would mean handing a lucrative, long-term contract to a 5-foot-9 point guard heading into his 30s. (Thomas will turn 29 during the upcoming season.)
Re-signing Thomas would have pushed the Celtics deep into the luxury tax and meant tying up the vast majority of their payroll in two players (Thomas and Al Horford) in the back half of their careers. Boston might have been able to survive that with internal development from the numerous young prospects on the roster, but that would have been tricky to manage.
From an age standpoint, the 25-year-old Irving fits neatly between the Celtics’ youngsters and fellow newcomer Gordon Hayward (age 27).
The standard for judging trades is extremely high in Boston. We’ve flat out grown accustomed to Danny Ainge fleecing other GMs.
But… it’s possible to lose a trade (ESPN Insider gave Cleveland an A, Boston a C) while moving your team forward in the short and long term.
I remain lukewarm on the move, but I understand the logic behind the deal. For all of the reasons cited above, Kyrie Irving is simply a better fit. Now and moving forward.
I love Isaiah Thomas. He swooped in and stole our hearts. I was lucky enough to witness his 53-point performance vs the Wizards in the playoffs and it might be the greatest game I’ve ever attended. But there was always a part of me who wondered if his level of play was sustainable for the next 2-3 years. He certainly isn’t going to play any better. Irving is still on the way up.
Moving the Brooklyn pick hurts. But we’ve been crowing for years that Ainge overvalues his draft assets in trade negotiations. We’ve also argued that Ainge can’t draft them all. Even if you insist the 2018 draft class is can’t miss, we still have a shot at landing a top 5 pick because of Ainge’s draft night deal with Philly.
Exhale.
Related links: SB Nation – 5 reasons the trade makes sense for both teams | Herald – Ainge makes Celtics future now | Trading Isaiah a difficult decision | Globe – Celtics make instant upgrade in speedy blockbuster | 3 cheers for Ainge who turned assets into star power | 538 – Cavs thread needle on mega deal | Mass Live – 15 big questions
On Page 2, the Celtics roster looks A LOT different.
Boston now has just four players on its roster from last season’s team that won an East-best 53 games. That’s 11 players gone from a roster that advanced to the Eastern Conference finals before bowing to the Cavaliers in five games.
There have been so many moves, though. Goodbye to key contributors such as Thomas, Crowder, Avery Bradley, Kelly Olynyk and Amir Johnson. Hello to Irving, Gordon Hayward, Jayson Tatum and Marcus Morris.
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Are the Celtics better than they were last season?
Possibly. They’ll be different, for sure. Thomas, Crowder and Bradley were blue-collar guys with chip-on-their-shoulder motivation. Now there’s more surefire All-Star talent in Irving and Hayward that must propel this team to the next level.
Ainge would clearly prefer to answer that “are they better?” question a little further down the road — maybe in April, after he has the chance to see how everything fits together over 82 games. But he has to believe his team is better.
Marcus Smart – drafted in 2014 – is the longest tenured Celtic. Let that sink in for a moment.
My gut tells me the Celtics will be better next season. Quite simply, I think the additions of Irving and Hayward offset the losses of Thomas, Bradley and Crowder. I also have high hopes for an improved Jaylen Brown, Terry Rozier and Jason Tatum.
The data scientists at SportsLine also see it my way:
Oh projects the Cavs’ win total will stay the same at 54.2. Boston, meanwhile, jumps from 53.7 to 54.9 projected wins.
The big impact comes in the teams’ chances to win the East. Boston’s goes from a 33 percent chance to a 39.3 percent chance. The Cavs’ chances in the East fall from 43.1 percent to 39.7 percent, though they remain the slight favorites in the East, according to the updated projections.
Are the Cs good enough to beat the Cavs in a playoff series? At this moment, I don’t think so.
And finally, let’s marvel at Kyrie’s greatness.
He was unreal in Game 4 vs the Warriors. I’m doing my best to forget about his flat-earth nonsense.
For those wondering, Irving will wear #11.
More to come throughout the day…
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