Cleveland and Boston completed a blockbuster trade that sent Kyrie Irving to Boston for Isaiah Thomas. Where do the Philadelphia 76ers fit into that picture?
Wow, did this come out of left field. Out of nowhere, Boston and Cleveland completed a blockbuster trade. Boston received Kyrie Irving, and Cleveland received Isaiah Thomas, Jae Crowder, Ante Zicic, and the 2018 Brooklyn Nets first round pick. This is a bizarre trade from Boston’s perspective for a number of reasons.
Philadelphia 76ers
First, why didn’t Boston trade for Jimmy Butler? They capitulated on this massive deal for Kyrie Irving, but not for Butler. Unless the Bulls were infatuated with Kris Dunn, Zach LaVine, or Lauri Markkanen, it’s hard to believe Boston couldn’t have beaten Minnesota’s offer, while still paying less for Butler than what they did for Irving.
Secondly, why didn’t Boston trade for Paul George? Jae Crowder, Marcus Smart, and Terry Rozier is a better package than Victor Oladipo and Domantas Sabonis. Even with the Paul George to the Lakers rumors in full swing, why not take the chance and see if your core can push Cleveland to their limit next May?
Lastly, why would Boston give Cleveland such a great deal? This trade could increase LeBron James’ chances at staying. Force Cleveland to take a worse deal, or make them make a worse deal with a different team. I get that Boston wanted to get younger, and that they probably didn’t want to pay Thomas what he would’ve gotten in free agency. But this trade should not have been the solution to their problem regarding Isaiah Thomas and his next contract.
This trade is a coup for Cleveland. They replace Irving’s offensive production with Thomas’ production. They add Jae Crowder, a versatile wing on a great contract. Cleveland gets the Brooklyn pick, which could easily be a top three pick next year. Lastly, they add Ante Zicic, a big who is on a rookie deal for four years. This was a great trade for Cleveland, and a bad trade for Boston.
But enough about Cleveland and Boston, how does this trade effect the Sixers?
The first thing I thought of when this trade was completed is that it tells the league they really love Tatum. The Celtics traded down from the top overall pick to select him. So obviously, they were fans of him. Boston wouldn’t have traded down if they weren’t. But then Boston chose to trade Jae Crowder and the Brooklyn pick instead of Tatum.
Why does this matter for the Sixers? It makes one wonder if Boston really would’ve selected Tatum with the top pick if they did not complete the trade with the Sixers.
This trade locks Boston in with Gordon Hayward, Al Horford, and Kyrie Irving as their big three for the next two years, and possibly even longer than that. Adrian Wojnarowski reports that the Celtics “made deal with strong belief he’ll stay.” This is the core Philadelphia is going to have to defeat if they want to make the finals in the near future.
Lastly, this trade makes one wonder if Cleveland might be able to retain James. The Nets pick is an invaluable asset. Cleveland could use it to acquire a star in a trade that would help keep James in Cleveland. Also, Crowder and Thomas are two very good win now veterans that should entice James to stay. If James does stay, that delays the Philadelphia 76ers‘ ability to make a serious push to the finals.
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This blockbuster trade will have ripple effects that effect the rest of the league. How this will affect the Sixers remains to be seen.