The Boston Celtics are three months removed from being defeated by the Cleveland Cavaliers in the Eastern Conference finals, but that five-game series loss apparently made C’s president of basketball operations Danny Ainge change his plan.
Ainge put another finishing touch on his rebuilding plan Tuesday when he acquired Kyrie Irving from the Cavs in exchange for Isaiah Thomas, Jae Crowder, Ante Zizic and the Brooklyn Nets’ first-round pick in 2018.
While Irving is one of the best scorers in the NBA, it still came as a bit of a shock that the C’s were willing to part with Thomas, who led them to 53 wins the year before.
But Ainge explained the move in a conference call Tuesday.
“It is a high price tag,” Ainge said. “But acquiring a 25-year-old perennial All-Star, a player that fits a timeline for us, and is a fantastic offensive player, one of the best offensive players in the league, you have to pay a heavy price.”
Irving’s age, 25, and the fact that he’s under contract for two more seasons certainly made him an attractive option to put alongside Gordon Hayward (27), Jayson Tatum (19) and Jaylen Brown (20), as the Celtics prepare to both win now and have long-term success.
Saying goodbye to Thomas and Crowder hurts, but the C’s scored a top-five point guard who has yet to enter the prime of his career, and are set up to be the class of the East for years to come.
Thumbnail photo via Brace Hemmelgarn/USA TODAY Sports Images
