In an appearance on ESPN’s “The Jump” on Monday (h/t to CSNNE.com), former Cavaliers general manager David Griffin suggested that the Celtics are on Kyrie Irving’s short list of preferred destinations.
Griffin mentioned Brad Stevens and Gregg Popovich as “really good coaching situations” that Irving covets, as well as Irving’s desire to play with “Gordon Hayward in Boston” or “Kawhi Leonard in San Antonio.”
The Spurs had previously been reported as a team on Irving’s list, but this is the first the public is hearing about the Celtics as a desired destination for the disgruntled point guard. Aside from the Spurs, the Knicks, Heat, and Timberwolves were reported by Chris Haynes as Irving’s top choices for landing spots.
While the Celtics certainly have the assets to land Irving, with a trove of draft picks and Marcus Smart, Jaylen Brown, and other desirable players, Danny Ainge has been reluctant to part with these assets in trades for Paul George and Jimmy Butler, which led to the pair being traded elsewhere for far less than the Celtics could have offered.
Furthermore, if the Celtics were to strike a deal for Irving, he and Isaiah Thomas would make for an awkward fit starting in the backcourt, and a particularly troublesome pairing for Boston on defense, with neither point guard known for his defensive prowess. Irving also has reportedly wanted to be the lead guy on his next team, but Thomas is – and would likely continue to be – the Celtics’ franchise player. More likely, in the improbable event that the teams make a trade involving Irving, Thomas would have to head the other way.
It wouldn’t match up with money but if the Celtics gave Isaiah, Brown, and Boston’s 2018 first (not Brooklyns) would be a reasonable package to me
I think if they include Marcus Smart and an additional draft pick like Boston’s 2019 first in your proposed package then they may have a deal. I think Lebron would like to play with Isaiah.
So 3 rotation pieces including a player of arguably the same caliber plus multiple 1st rounders for a minor upgrade
coming off hip surgery
and he’s 5’8 coming off that surgery
He never had surgery…and there’s no comparison between the two when it comes to injuries. Kyrie’s been on the shelf more than an ugly stripper.
Ok…your point? Any team that trades for IT would want to extend him. If he’s coming off of perhaps a persistent injury and a team is facing the prospect of signing him to tens of millions then that becomes a factor. While Irving has had his share of injuries his deal is already done and his contract is a more limited risk in that it’s for 2 years.
My point is that they are similar players… Yeah ones a FA next year, but he is loved in the locker room and is a similar player… The other has gone days without speaking to teammates, has a longer injury history and will cost a boat load of assets to acquire.. That’s my point.
Why would Boston trade a package involving their star point guard for an inferior point guard?
Irving is not inferior, but the difference isn’t as large as people are making it out to be.
Who cares what his list is? He doesn’t have a no trade clause and will play two years for any team that trades for him, before being a near guarantee to opt out of the last year.
He’s not gonna be able to request another trade from his next team without demolishing his future free agent value.
Reason why is makes a difference which teams Kyrie is entertaining is not from the interest of the sending end (Cavs) but receiving end. If Kyrie is interested in signing an extension, then the team may have a greater interest in trading for him. It’s not difficult to understand this.
Except things will be very different in two years plus no team will be able to offer him the super max deal. He has no incentive to sign an extension or opt into his last year.
But he does have an incentive to sign an extension. Whichever teams trades for him will own his rights meaning they can offer a 5 year max as opposed to the 4 year max that other teams could offer in free agency. Granted the money between the 4 and 5 year max might not be a substantial enough difference to entice him to resign (see Paul George), that extra year of security definitely plays a factor.
Why would the Celtics want to bust up their team, just to replace a peg (Thomas) with a peg (Irving)
Makes NO sense.
Agreed. I assume that’s Danny Ainge’s thoughts as well.
Why would they have to bust up the team? Thomas contract is up sooner than Kyrie’s and Thomas is older. Plus Boston has draft picks and prospects without many minutes to go around.
They’d have to give up a good amount of players in order to match salaries and make the trade work
Because the Irving peg is three years younger, comes with an extra year of control, and is a better player, period. It’s the type of upgrade that would take Boston to actual, legitimate championship contenders.
Agreed. And between the two, who would you rather give a max contract to. There’s rumors that Boston isn’t all that interested in giving Thomas a max contract (I his size and defensive shortcomings play the biggest role in that). While Kyrie also has defensive shortcomings, he doesn’t come with the same size issues as Thomas and a coach/GM like Stevens/Ainge might think turning Kyrie into a passable defender is an easier task than turning Thomas into one.
The trade would be Thomas, a wing for salary and 1st rders for Irving. Any more is an overpay and any less and the Cavs won’t bite. Irving and Thomas are close enough in skill level that if he is included (wgich he should be) then it would only take a little more
Not even close. And thanks for the laugh saying Irving and Thomas are close in skill.
Maybe not pure skill, but the overall performance drop off would be small enough that if they could pry an asset like Brown, another prospect or rotation player, and a couple picks along with Thomas that would be still be very good and they could try to compete and rebuild on the fly.
Sorry no, Thomas isn’t on the same level as Irving.
Yeah, but Irving didn’t drop 29 a game last year. I think Irving is the better player in all aspects, but Thomas gets buckets which takes some of the pressure off Lebron, he can drive and kick out, and basically do what Irving does except without the flashiness and ridiculous crossover. Adding a top pick like Brown plus another player and a first rounder is more than enough to cover the difference.
All the Boston radio stations were reporting today that the deal that was discussed (but not imminent) was Isaiah, crowder, rozier, and the Brooklyn pick for Iving
I bet the callers vented about the Brk pick being thrown in there.
It’s hard to get over the weirdness of an Irving/Thomas swap.
How about Irving for Horford, with the celts picking any other non-Brons for salary matching ($9mil dif).
Irving and Shumpert for Horford and the Nets pick? Horford isn’t a max player as far as counting stats go but him and Kevin Love would be an intriguing front court that could work in the new NBA. Irving is far better than Horford but I wonder if they’d take the Nets pick and go with that. The Nets look decent this year I’m not sure that pick is as good as people think it will be.
The cavs would never help the celtics regardless of what they could get for irving
A trade that makes the most sense is one with the Suns involving Jackson or one with the Nuggets/Jazz that brings in another quality player.
Phoenix continues to offer Bledsoe, bust Bender and a protected pick. As long as that is the case that deal is dead.
Phoenix is still offering Bledsoe, Bust Bender and a protected pick. As long as that’s the case the deal is dead.
I’d have no interest in Thomas. Can’t defend, not much of a facilitator, coming off injury as an undersized player and he’ll be looking for 200 mm after the season is up which will pay him into his mid-30s. Great player (last year), but not a great asset. Their picks are valuable only to flip. People talk as though they’re guaranteed to be high lottery picks. That’s hard to realize when you can’t take on major salary on a net basis.