The Kyrie Irving-Isaiah Thomas trade finally appears to be done, but not before the deal between the Cleveland Cavaliers and Boston Celtics turned into a fiasco.
It appeared as though the Celtics and Cavs had a deal in place that would send Irving to the Celtics for Thomas, Jae Crowder, Ante Zizic and the Brooklyn Nets’ 2018 first-round draft pick. But reports started to surface that Cleveland had concerns about Thomas’ hip injury, which eventually led to the 2020 Miami Heat second-round pick also reportedly heading to Cleveland.
And it turns out Cavs owner Dan Gilbert is a big reason why things became a mess.
Via The Ringer’s Kevin O’Connor:
“Koby Altman may be the latest person to call himself Cleveland Cavaliers general manager — the fourth in the last 12 years since Dan Gilbert bought the team — but multiple sources have told me that the Cavs owner was the one calling the shots on the trade that sent Irving to Boston, and he’s the one dealing with the fallout.
“Gilbert’s dysfunctional ways are old news. Gilbert himself joked during Altman’s introductory presser that his GMs have four-year presidential terms. ‘A state of organizational chaos is Gilbert’s M.O.,’ one executive told me. ‘Gilbert thinks he’s the protagonist in the story of the Cavaliers, when, in reality, he’s the antagonist.'”
Was all that dysfunction worth it for a second-round pick?
Thumbnail photo via David Richard/USA TODAY Sports Images
