The NBA Offseason Finally Climaxed And Kyrie Irving Is Officially A Boston Celtic

Celtics are sending Thomas, Crowder, Ante Zizic and Brooklyn's 2018 first-round pick for Kyrie Irving, league sources tell The Vertical. https://t.co/gdaT9UjVGl

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) August 22, 2017

Can you believe it? The Cleveland Cavaliers actually traded away an All Star caliber point guard that brings instant offense, has a penchant for thriving in the clutch, plays no defense, and is probably better off as a second scoring option?!? What were they thi...

...Wait, what's that? They got back a poor man's version of the very same player and a draft pick that has been the apple of the entire NBA's eye since the Brooklyn Nets went bankrupt mortgaging their future on two players in the twilight of their career?

Look, as he compares to Isaiah Thomas, Kyrie Irving is obviously a better talent with a brighter future, but - if you're a Cavaliers fan - the prospect of flipping a player that helped win you a title and not having your last season with LeBron James become a lost season has to excite you. Their owner's ineptitude put them in a no-win situation, so coming out with what appears to be something close to a draw has to be considered a relative success. Granted, it's a relative success that makes their biggest in-conference competition better and guarantees that the entire framework of the franchise is getting gutted in less than a year, but at least they've already collected a huge piece for the rebuild before their impending demolition. Preemptively starting over wouldn't have been considered an ideal move when the city of Cleveland celebrated its first championship in over half a century, but Dan Gilbert went full-Dan Gilbert and has done a lot of dumb, irreparable shit since then.  

As for Boston, Danny Ainge definitely didn't get the most out of the assets that he has held almost as near and dear as his own immediate family, but he did form a roster that will be favored to be in the NBA Finals sooner rather than later. Giving up the prized Nets' pick that has reportedly been the sticking point on so many hypothetical deals that were far less costly than one that includes Isaiah Thomas and Jae Crowder seems odd, but it probably gives them pretty close to an even chance in next year's conference finals. 

All in all, both organizations involved in a trade that had the top teams in the East swapping significant pieces are likely walking away satisfied, and I can't say that a simultaneous climax was how I saw the consummation of the wild and crazy ride that was the NBA offseason playing out. 

P.S. Warriors in 4.