The Sixer Sense
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How Celtics/Cavs trade changes Philadelphia 76ers goals in the East

By Rusty Gorelick

BOSTON, MA - MAY 17: Kyrie Irving #2 of the Cleveland Cavaliers defends Isaiah Thomas #4 of the Boston Celtics in the first half during Game One of the 2017 NBA Eastern Conference Finals at TD Garden on May 17, 2017 in Boston, Massachusetts. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Adam Glanzman/Getty Images)
BOSTON, MA - MAY 17: Kyrie Irving #2 of the Cleveland Cavaliers defends Isaiah Thomas #4 of the Boston Celtics in the first half during Game One of the 2017 NBA Eastern Conference Finals at TD Garden on May 17, 2017 in Boston, Massachusetts. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Adam Glanzman/Getty Images) /
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The Boston Celtics and Cleveland Cavaliers blockbuster trade changes the future of the Eastern Conference. How does that affect the Philadelphia 76ers?

By sending Kyrie Irving to Boston in return for Isaiah Thomas, Jae Crowder, and the Brooklyn Nets’ 2018 first-round pick, the Cleveland Cavaliers have made the East more a lot more interesting. On the surface, it looks as though the Cavs got a shorter, older version of Kyrie in order to cure their locker room issues, but the key part of this deal is how the balance of power for the Eastern Conference’s future has shifted.

Philadelphia 76ers
Philadelphia 76ers /

Philadelphia 76ers

Danny Ainge has finally parted ways with one of his coveted assets to bring an established star to his team in the form of Kyrie Irving, but giving up that Nets pick has added Cleveland into the mix of teams who will dominate the East within the next five years, who join the Philadelphia 76ers, Milwaukee Bucks, and the Celtics in that category.

Boston is going to build around Irving, Gordon Hayward, and Al Horford as its big three of the future, while the Cavs will get a crack at a potential superstar in the 2018 NBA Draft, such as Marvin Bagley III, Luka Doncic, Michael Porter, or Mohamed Bamba. Additionally, if LeBron James leaves next summer, Cleveland will have plenty of cap room to chase DeMarcus Cousins, Paul George, Russell Westbrook, Avery Bradley, Andrew Wiggins and Nikola Jokic, depending on team and player options for some of those players.

This trade could prove to have a bigger impact on the future than it will on the 2017/18 season, and that works out perfectly for the Philadelphia 76ers. Now, the Boston Celtics will not have the chance to get two top-five picks in the 2018 draft, since they also hold the Los Angeles Lakers’ first rounder as a result of the trade with the Sixers before the 2017 draft. This means that Boston lost out on building a super-team through the draft in order to get Kyrie Irving, and it also indicates that Cleveland will not become a total lost cause if/when LeBron leaves in the summer of 2018.

How is this good for Philly?

The Sixers will have to get through a core of Irving, Hayward, and Horford in the playoffs for the next five years, but that’s better than the alternative. Facing a hypothetical Celtics core of Doncic, Hayward, and Bagley III at its peak would be tougher than the current core that Boston has now committed to building around.

Additionally, having a strong Cavs team in the future helps the Sixers’ cause in the playoffs. The Western Conference saw it last year: a bunch of great teams in the same conference leads to many long series and fatigue. As the Warriors learned in the 2017 playoffs, playing tired teams is easier than playing teams coming off a four-game series. If Philly can breeze through while other teams beat each other up, it will make things easier for them as they get deeper into the playoffs.

If Markelle Fultz, Joel Embiid, and Ben Simmons all reach their full potential, it’s hard to imagine any other team in the East matching up to those three, especially after the Celtics traded away their Nets pick. Also, Philadelphia 76ers fans shouldn’t forget that depending on how the 2018 Draft Lottery goes, the team can still get a high lottery pick in either 2018 or 2019, thanks to trades with the Lakers and Sacramento Kings.

Next: How does the Irving/Thomas trade impact the Sixers?

Now, just imagine adding Zion Williamson, Luka Doncic, R.J. Barrett, or Cam Reddish to the big three that Philly already has. There’s no way that Irving, Hayward, and Horford would be able to defend that team, and it’s hard to imagine Cleveland landing free agents good enough to stop that train.