Cavs-Celtics deal
At this point, the Celtics have no choice but to see the trade through. The Cavaliers also face problems should they be compelled to take Irving back, but nothing they didn’t already have to address even before the deal. In fact, it’s why they turned to t
Don’t look now, but the blockbuster deal between the Cavaliers and the Celtics may yet be voided. At the heart of the problem: All- Star and Most Valuable Player candidate Isaiah Thomas’ hip, which sustained an injury in the 2017 Playoffs and which has kept him sidelined to date, with no apparent return to action in sight. Evidently, initial results of his physical examination — a requirement for players involved in trades — last Thursday have officials of the wine and gold worried and mulling options, including scuttling last week’s shocker.
To be sure, the Cavaliers remain intent on signing off on the deal. After all, they were on the receiving end of a talent haul that stands as the best in exchange for a marquee name in recent memory. Compared to the disappointing gains of the Pacers and Bulls in sending off Paul George and Jimmy Butler, respectively, the package of Thomas, two-way cog Jae Crowder, promising prospect Ante Zizic, and the Nets’ 2018 first-round pick stands as a veritable gold mine. And, contrary to initial impression, the centerpiece is the still- unknown talent in next year’s deep draft class. That said, the Cavaliers value Thomas given his productivity and relatively low salary, especially in what could be top dog LeBron James’ last season with them. The fact that he’s heading into free agency is likewise a plus; he will be spurred to show his best and leave nothing in the tank every time out, if for nothing else than to prove to prospective employers that he deserves to be handed a max deal. He may not be Kyrie Irving, but he’s close and, perhaps, enough to keep them in the hunt for the hardware, the one and only thing on the King’s mind moving forward.
Given questions on Thomas’ immediate future, the Cavaliers have returned to the negotiating table in hopes of convincing the Celtics to up the ante anew. No doubt, the latter will insist that they had been forthright in conveying the physical condition of their former leader, and will resist overtures of one more draft pick. All the same, the two sides understand the situation, which seems to have crossed the point of no return. Imagine a player who competed with a chip on his shoulder and gave his all to the green and white, even under duress and amid personal challenges. Imagine the same player blindsided by a sudden turn of events that makes him feel he’s just a pawn, spawning disappointment and pain. And now, faced with the possibility of returning to the franchise he loved but subsequently spurned him? He won’t be a happy camper; he’ll be poison to a locker room in which he was once the most positive presence.
At this point, the Celtics have no choice but to see the trade through. The Cavaliers also face problems should they be compelled to take Irving back, but nothing they didn’t already have to address even before the deal. In fact, it’s why they turned to their biggest rivals in the conference in the first place. So, yes, a restructure is more likely than a nullification. In any case, this much is clear: The National Basketball Association’s very first match of its 2017-2018 campaign — which just so happens to be between the protagonists — will be a can’t-miss affair whose oncourt appeal is enhanced by all the off-court drama.