The Cleveland Cavaliers and Boston Celtics have finally completed the trade that sent Kyrie Irving to the Celtics for Isaiah Thomas, Jae Crowder, Ante Zizic, an unprotected 1st round draft pick (via the Brooklyn Nets) and now a 2020 second round pick (via the Miami Heat).
This deal was announced last week, but due to the questionable health of Isaiah Thomas’ hip, the Cavs were looking for additional compensation from the Celtics. With a Thursday morning deadline looming, the Cavs agreed to take the 2020 2nd round pick as the additional compensation for the hip.
Cleveland has indicated that Boston was not completely forthcoming with how long the rehab would take for Thomas, who injured his hip in March during the playoffs and was forced out of the Eastern Conference finals. Thomas recently told ESPN that he expects to play this season and would return to his all-star level of play. In a quote given to ESPN, Thomas said, “Maybe I am not going to be back as soon this season as everyone wants me to be, but I’m going to be back, and I am going to be the same player again. No doctor has told me anything different than that.”
Considering that the Cavs and Celtics were already the favorites to come out of the Eastern Conference, there are also some good NBA betting tips that you might want to consider this upcoming season. Can Thomas continue scoring at the same pace he did in Boston? Can Irving take his game to the next level and possibly be the next player to average a triple-double? What about maybe picking the correct order in which teams will fall in the lottery? Where the Nets pick falls could determine whether or not the Cavs can get a franchise player in the draft to either keep LeBron in town, or take over if he leaves.
Coming off a career year in which he averaged 28.9 points per game, Thomas, 28, is entering the last year of his contract. If Thomas, a two-time all-star, can prove that his hip is no longer an issue, he will surely be in line for a $100 million + payday. With the Celtics horde of draft picks, they were able to land Irving, who for some reason had a falling out with the Cavs organization. The best part about the trade for the Celtics not only was that they got the best player in the deal, but the best contract as well. Irving is locked up at a reasonable $18 million for this season and $21 million for 2018-2019.
By the way, these two teams play each other on opening night…
Stay tuned.
