On August 21st, one of the biggest blockbuster trades of the year happened in the NBA. Star point guard Kyrie Irving of the Cleveland Cavaliers was traded to the Boston Celtics for Isaiah Thomas, Jae Crowder, Ante Zizic and a 2018 draft pick from the Brooklyn Nets. This came after Irving requested a trade in mid-July, with sources speculating that he no longer wanted to play with superstar LeBron James, and wanted to be the main attraction for another team. LeBron James responded to the trade via Twitter, seemingly appreciating the time he and Irving played together.
However, this trade actually benefits both the Cleveland Cavaliers and the Boston Celtics. After the moves Boston made during the off-season, the roster looks almost entirely different compared to last season. The new lineup would be Kyrie Irving at point guard, Gordon Hayward and Jaylen Brown at shooting guard, Marcus Morris at power forward, and Al Horford at Center. The new Cleveland lineup would be Isaiah Thomas at point guard, Jae Crowder/J.R. Smith at shooting guard, LeBron James at shooting forward, Kevin Love at power forward, and Tristan Thompson at center. It should be interesting to note that there is probably going to be a competition between Crowder and Smith for the starting rotation spot. But that also means that the Cavaliers have tremendous depth, especially with former MVP Derrick Rose as backup point guard, with Kyle Korver, Richard Jefferson, and Iman Shumpert as reliable veterans.
The Cavaliers' new depth chart is amazing compared to other NBA teams, with the exception of Golden State. But what about the Celtics? They only have four prominent players from last season still on their roster, but the new-look Celtics should have plenty of talent to still be an exciting team. With superstars Irving and Gordon Hayward now on the roster, they should put up about the same amount of offensive output as the same team last year. The Celtics have more prominent All-Star talent, as Irving and Hayward should make the team around them better. And with prominent rookie Jayson Tatum on the roster, he is sure to enter the starting rotation during the season and immediately make an impact.
We will not know how this trade fares out for both teams next season. However, the Cavs and Celtics are playing the NBA season opener on October 17th, so fans should see which team will benefit most from this blockbuster trade.
