Hang Time Podcast: Cleveland Cavaliers, Boston Celtics agree to blockbuster deal

After he was told that he would not be moved, Tatum said he received a text from Irving saying how excited he was to be teaming up with him. The deal became official on Tuesday night, as it was announced that the Cleveland Cavaliers sent Kyrie Irving to the Celtics [VIDEO]in exchange for Isaiah Thomas, Jae Crowder, Ante Zizic, and Brooklyn’s 2018 first round pick.

I won’t lie. When I first heard the news, I was shocked. He’s getting that, and is heading into as good a situation as possible.

If LeBron leaves town once again, the Cavs will nearly assuredly let Thomas walk via free agency.

I applauded the Bulls for picking a direction and going all in on the rebuild.

I’m not insane, believe me.

Thomas deserves a max contract. And with both teams competing in the Eastern Conference, they’ll each bear witness to which team actually got the better end of the deal. But let’s be real. Thomas missed the last three games of the series with a hip injury, and might not be ready for regular season opener. Crowder averaged almost 14 points previous year and shot almost 47% from the field.

Former NBA front office executive Ben Falk notes that Crowder’s teams have performed better with him on the court during each season of his career, though previous year was the biggest overall differential.

Despite competing in three straight NBA Finals – winning one – the Cavs seemed to endure some discord this offseason with Dan Gilbert failing to renew former general manager David Griffin’s contract.

Thomas averaged 28.9 points last season and is a supreme clutch player. “And while the 5′-9” Thomas may have been the 60th overall pick in 2011, he has made an impact in the National Basketball Association, as a two-time All Star. Irving remains on a team bound for a deep playoff run, has a new young running mate in Hayward to grow with and one of the top tactical coaches in the league in Brad Stevens. Many NBA insiders believe it allows the Cavs to take one more shot at the Golden State Warriors next season while still protecting the franchise’s future.

“It’s great if they win, awful if they lose”, a source close to James, referring to the Irving trade, told the Cleveland Plain Dealer. “So it was just as much of a shock to me as probably the average fan”.

Long story short, the kid is a stud.

“It’s extremely rare to be able to trade for a 25-year-old player that’s done what he’s done in his career and the offensive weapon that he is”, Ainge said.

Winfield explains every other major move the Celtics made between 2013 and now that led to acquiring Uncle Drew from Cleveland, including moving Rajon Rondo to the Mavericks in 2014 and grabbing Isaiah Thomas from the Suns in 2015 for nearly nothing.

Seriously, it’s ok. Boston still had to make this move.

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