After the Los Angeles Lakers missed out on trading for Kyrie Irving in February, many believed that the franchise is planning to revisit interest in an All-Star guard in the offseason. Irving is set to become a free agent in the summer and reportedly would like to play again with his former Cleveland Cavaliers teammate LeBron James in LA. But according to ESPN’s NBA Insider Brian Windhorst, the Lakers have other plans.

Speaking on his The Hoop Collective podcast earlier this week, Windhorst said that the sources close to the Lakers had told him the team won’t pursue Irving when he hits the free agency.

 “To my knowledge, and [from] what I’ve been told, the Kyrie ship I think has sailed,” Windhorst explained.

Windhorst added that the Lakers’ mindset at the moment is to keep the team as it is and try to retain their own free agents. They have nine players on their roster being set for free agency, including unrestricted free agents in D’Angelo Russell, Lonnie Walker IV, and Dennis Schröder.

The Lakers reportedly offered a package centered on former MVP Russell Westbrook and a first-round pick to the Brooklyn Nets for Kyrie Irving ahead of the NBA trade deadline. The Nets didn’t find this offer too attractive and instead went with the Dallas Mavericks’ package that consisted of Dorian Finney-Smith, Spencer Dinwiddie, an unprotected 2029 first-round pick, and two second-rounders.

Since arriving in Dallas, Irving is averaging career-high 28.4 points per game while adding 5.2 rebounds and 6.6 assists.

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Sources have confirmed that the Brooklyn Nets are set to trade Kyrie Irving to the Dallas Mavericks. This comes after much speculation on the point guard’s future with the New York City-based franchise.

Brooklyn was engaged in talks with the Los Angeles Lakers last Friday and Saturday, however, the sources concerned claimed that a deal with the Dallas Mavericks would provide the Nets with a better chance to surround star Kevin Durant with promising new players now.

In exchange for Irving and teammate Markieff Morris, the Mavericks are reported to be sending Dorian Finney-Smith and Spencer Dinwiddie to Brooklyn as well as a 2029 first-round pick and second-round picks in 2027 and 2029.

Mavericks general manager Nico Harrison has a well-established relationship with Irving, going back to their Nike days, while head coach Jason Kidd was also involved in the deal. It is believed that the Mavericks got the go-ahead from All-NBA star Luka Doncic as well.

Irving is expected to arrive in Dallas on Monday when he is scheduled to undergo a medical. So long as all goes according to plan, Irving will make his Mavs debut on Wednesday against the Los Angeles Clippers.

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The Brooklyn Nets seem like they just can’t keep their stars happy. After James Harden successfully forced a trade to the Philadelphia 76ers and Kevin Durant requested a trade in the summer before changing his mind, now it’s the star point guard Kyrie Irving’s turn to look for a way out.

According to multiple reports around the league, Irving officially requested to be traded from the Nets on Friday. The move apparently came after the two sides couldn’t agree on a new contract extension. The 30-year-old player is set to become a free agent after the 2022-23 NBA season after picking up his $36.9 million player option in the summer.

Irving is eligible to sign a four-year, $198.5 million maximum extension with the Nets, but the franchise reportedly doesn’t want to tie up that kind of money in a player that was involved in a number of controversies off the court. Brooklyn was willing to make a deal but wanted to include partial guarantees and a series of conditions, something that didn’t sit well with the 8-time All-Star.

There are several teams reportedly interested in acquiring Kyrie Irving before the trade deadline on Thursday, including the Los Angeles Lakers, the Dallas Mavericks, and the Phoenix Suns. The Lakers are considered Irving’s preferred option, but it is unclear whether they can put together an offer that will appeal to the Nets.

 Irving has been playing at a high level this season, averaging 27.1 points, 5.1 rebounds, and 5.3 assists per game. He has been particularly on a tear since mid-January, scoring 30+ points in six out of his last eight games.

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All-Star guard Kyrie Irving decided not to seek the Brooklyn Nets exit anymore. Instead, Irving picked up his 2022-23 player option and intends to play for the Nets next season.

By opting in, Irving is set to earn $36.5 million in 2022-23. He will be an unrestricted free agent after that.

“Normal people keep the world going, but those who dare to be different lead us into tomorrow,” Irving told The Athletic about his decision. “I’ve made my decision to opt-in. See you in the fall. A11even.”

Kyrie Irving spent the past several days looking for a way to leave Brooklyn after he and the Nets reached an “impasse” in extension talks. The franchise proceeded to give Irving the green light to seek a sign-and-trade deal, but this proved to be a more complicated affair than expected. It turned out that only the Los Angeles Lakers were willing to take a swing for the 30-year-old, but the Nets were far from impressed with their offer.

Irving exercising his player option now nixes any sign-and-trade scenario. Brooklyn could still trade him at some point, but that looks unlikely at the time being. The most likely outcome is that the team runs it back with Irving and hopes for the best.

Irving had a turbulent 2021-22 campaign, having played only 29 games due to his decision not to get the COVID-19 vaccine. While he averaged 27.4 points when he was on the floor, his absence greatly affected the Nets and their chances to make a deep playoff run. Brooklyn ended up being eliminated in the first round by the Boston Celtics.

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If the Lakers want to reunite former Cleveland Cavaliers teammates LeBron James and Kyrie Irving in Los Angeles, they will have to give up Anthony Davis. According to ESPN’s NBA Insider Brian Windhorst, the Brooklyn Nets would only entertain trading Irving to the Lakers if Davis is involved in the deal.

Recent reports indicate that Irving and the Nets didn’t progress on contract negotiation, which will prompt the All-Star guard to opt-out of his contract and test the free agency. In this case, he will have a choice to sign with a team that has enough cap space to take him in or work with Brooklyn to execute the sign-and-trade deal.

Irving is reportedly considering the Lakers as one of his possible destinations, and the Nets would reportedly be willing to help him get there. However, they would require Davis to come to Brooklyn for that, further complicating the matter.

It is believed that the Lakers would like to land Irving but in a deal that would also see them offload struggling veteran guard Russell Westbrook. On the other hand, Davis is considered untouchable despite his recent health issues. The 29-year-old only played 76 games in the past two seasons, and his lack of availability was one of the reasons the Lakers missed the postseason in 2021-22.

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Star point guard Kyrie Irving is so committed to playing with the Brooklyn Nets that he would rather retire than suit up for another team. At least, that is what Nick Wright of Fox Sports claims.

Wright, who hosts First Things First at Fox Sports 1, recently went on Twitter to share “some NBA news” with his followers. According to him, Irving’s agents made it clear to the Nets and everyone else that their client would “retire from the NBA” if he was to be traded.

The tweet caught the attention of Irving, who responded to Wright by labeling him as “a puppet.”

Wright then told Irving his “beef” is with his representatives and doubled down on his claim by writing: “You and I both know that’s what they’ve told people.”

Without questioning Wright’s credibility, it is hard to imagine Kyrie Irving walking from the NBA just because he got traded. It is even harder to picture the Nets wanting to trade him.

Throughout the offseason, Brooklyn brass repeatedly stated that they want to keep their superstar trio of Irving, Kevin Durant, and James Harden together for the foreseeable future. The franchise has already locked Durant to a long-term extension and plans to do the same with Irving and Harden.

Also, there is no reason for Brooklyn to make any major shakeups in their roster. They looked like the best team in basketball when they managed to have Irving, Durant, and Harden on the floor together in 2020-21 and are already the favorites to go all the way in 2021-22.

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Boston Celtics’ All-Star guard Kyrie Irving is hitting the open market this summer. According to Shams Charania of The Athletic, Irving will opt out of his current contract with the Celtics and pass on his $21.3 million player option.

Irving rejecting the option doesn’t automatically mean he will leave Boston, however. He is eligible for max extension, which can bring him $33 million in 2019/20, so becoming a free agent makes sense from a financial standpoint.

Although Kyrie Irving stated on numerous occasions in the past that he will stay with the Celtics past this season, the sources around the league say different. Irving is reportedly unhappy in Boston and would welcome the change of scenery with New York Knicks and Brooklyn Nets being the favorites to land him.

The thing that will certainly influence Irving’s decision is the recent injury of Golden State Warriors’ Kevin Durant. The duo reportedly wanted to team up in New York, and form a championship contender. Still, now that Durant tore his ACL and will miss the entire season, he might opt to stay in Golden State and choose long-term security. In this case, Irving might rethink his strategy and look for other teams that could provide him a chance to win another championship.

Irving averaged 23.8 points, 5.0 rebounds, 6.9 assists and 1.5 steals this season.

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Although there were certain doubts that the trade between Cleveland Cavaliers and Boston Celtics for Kyrie Irving could collapse, everything was finalized on Thursday. ESPN reported that Celtics added 2020 second-round draft pick via the Miami Heat to the package already containing Isaiah Thomas, Jae Crowder, Ante Zizic and Brooklyn Nets 2018 first round pick. This was enough for the Cavaliers to complete the trade. Celtics didn’t lose time, and immediately organized a press conference on Friday where they introduced Kyrie Irving alongside free agency signing Gordon Hayward.

*chills* pic.twitter.com/9IQtQAjCXC

— Boston Celtics (@celtics) September 1, 2017

There he is @gordonhayward pic.twitter.com/dJK2hDF2iU

— Boston Celtics (@celtics) September 1, 2017

“I can’t wait to get on the floor and maximize my potential. I just want to be around those incredible coaches and those incredible minds and those incredible individuals, and I feel like in doing that, Boston came right at the exact time and it was meant to be that way. I trust in that, and I’m glad to be here.” – Irving said at the press conference.

The almost done deal between the Cavaliers and Celtics came in danger after Isaiah Thomas underwent his medical in Cleveland. The medical caused further concerns about his hip injury and Cavaliers felt Boston wasn’t fully transparent about it previous to making the deal. Although there were some reports about Cavaliers asking for a young star like Jayson Tatum to be added to the deal or another first round pick, at the end, they had to satisfy themselves with a second rounder.

The trade between the Celtics and Cavaliers will bring some entertainment to the traditionally uneventful Eastern Conference, but the majority of the analysts consider that Boston Celtic are not that close to challenging the Cavs for the spot in the NBA Finals. For a year, Cleveland will be, if not better, at least as good as they were last season if Isaiah Thomas gets recovered as planned and continues with performances he put up in Boston last season. Jae Crowder will bring a stability in the defense, while Brooklyn Nets pick sets Cleveland for the future in case James decides to go. If he decides to stay, the pick can be used to lure another star to Cleveland in attempt to put an end to the reign of the Warriors.

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On Wednesday, Isaiah Thomas finally broke the silence and said “I am not damaged. I’ll be back, and I’ll be the same player. No doctor has told me anything different than that.” in an interview with ESPN. This came after Thomas had an unsuccessful medical with Cleveland Cavaliers making them question the trade they made with Boston Celtics. Many reporters called Thomas a “damaged good” afterward. It looks like Isaiah is determined to prove them wrong.

Blockbuster trade between the Boston Celtics and Cleveland Cavaliers saw Kyrie Irving taking on the Celtics jersey, while the Cavs got Isaiah Thomas, Jae Crowder, Ante Zizic and Brooklyn Nets 2018 first round pick. But, the trade still isn’t finalized and could collapse due to Isaiah Thomas hip injury.

Thomas was injured during the Eastern Conference Finals game 2 against the Cavs and was ruled out for the reminder of the series. He chose not to have the surgery and was expected to return to the court by the beginning of this season. However, the medical he had in Cleveland cast some doubt on that and showed that Thomas’ return could be significantly delayed. This put both the Celtics and the Cavs in an awkward situation. Celtics don’t want to lose a chance to have a superstar player like Irving while Cavaliers are now uncertain about the value they got in return if it turns out that Thomas won’t be able to play for the majority of the season. In order for Thomas to be of value for the Cavs, he needs to play the entire seasons, since he will be a free agent next year.

It has been reported by multiple sources that Cleveland Cavaliers are now asking for more assets from Celtics in order for this trade to go through. It looks like Cavs have their eyes set on additional first round or second round pick.

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You probably know this by now. In a blockbuster deal, Kyrie Irving was sent to the Boston Celtics in exchange for Isaiah Thomas, Jae Crowder, Ante Zizic and Brooklyn Nets 2018 first round draft pick. Since Kyrie Irving requested a trade a few weeks ago, there were lots of people unimpressed by his move and desire to be “the man”. Kevin Durant has an opposite opinion. On The Bill Simmons Podcast (transcript by The Ringer) he expressed his appreciation for Irving’s move saying “He did what he was supposed to do in Cleveland. It’s on to the next chapter. I can really appreciate what he did. He stood up for himself, he showed a lot of courage, man, because it’s hard to take that type of criticism. When you just want to play ball. I feel him on that.“

Durant also said Kyrie reminds him of himself and that he can relate to the stuff Kyrie was going through before the trade: “Kyrie reminds me of myself, just from the outside looking in. I may be wrong on all these things, but from the outside looking in, I’ve been around him for a month or so, he reminds me of myself as far as just loving to play the game, just wanting to learn it and try to get better at it every day. I can feel that, I can sense that in him.“

Talking about Irving’s new team, the Boston Celtics, Kevin Durant thinks Kyrie is a perfect fit. “It’s a perfect system for him in Boston; it’s a perfect fit. Because he’s a 6-foot-3 Isaiah Thomas, basically, and Isaiah just thrived in that system, and then he got Gordon Hayward and Al Horford, who are gonna be able to make plays for him, too. It’s gonna be pretty sweet. I think it was a great deal. But I just think Kyrie just wanted a place where he can focus on just playing basketball and not worrying about the other drama that comes with.“

You can check out the entire Bill Simmons Podcast featuring Kevin Durant on this link.
Kevin Durant left the Oklahoma City Thunder in 2016, becoming a free agent and eventually signing with the Golden State Warriors. He led them to an NBA Finals win over Cleveland Cavaliers, earning himself NBA Finals Most Valuable Player Award in the process.

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After the Los Angeles Lakers missed out on trading for Kyrie Irving in February, many believed that the franchise is planning to revisit interest in an All-Star guard in the offseason. Irving is set to become a free agent in the summer and reportedly would like to play again with his former Cleveland Cavaliers teammate LeBron James in LA. But according to ESPN’s NBA Insider Brian Windhorst, the Lakers have other plans.

Speaking on his The Hoop Collective podcast earlier this week, Windhorst said that the sources close to the Lakers had told him the team won’t pursue Irving when he hits the free agency.

 “To my knowledge, and [from] what I’ve been told, the Kyrie ship I think has sailed,” Windhorst explained.

Windhorst added that the Lakers’ mindset at the moment is to keep the team as it is and try to retain their own free agents. They have nine players on their roster being set for free agency, including unrestricted free agents in D’Angelo Russell, Lonnie Walker IV, and Dennis Schröder.

The Lakers reportedly offered a package centered on former MVP Russell Westbrook and a first-round pick to the Brooklyn Nets for Kyrie Irving ahead of the NBA trade deadline. The Nets didn’t find this offer too attractive and instead went with the Dallas Mavericks’ package that consisted of Dorian Finney-Smith, Spencer Dinwiddie, an unprotected 2029 first-round pick, and two second-rounders.

Since arriving in Dallas, Irving is averaging career-high 28.4 points per game while adding 5.2 rebounds and 6.6 assists.

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Sources have confirmed that the Brooklyn Nets are set to trade Kyrie Irving to the Dallas Mavericks. This comes after much speculation on the point guard’s future with the New York City-based franchise.

Brooklyn was engaged in talks with the Los Angeles Lakers last Friday and Saturday, however, the sources concerned claimed that a deal with the Dallas Mavericks would provide the Nets with a better chance to surround star Kevin Durant with promising new players now.

In exchange for Irving and teammate Markieff Morris, the Mavericks are reported to be sending Dorian Finney-Smith and Spencer Dinwiddie to Brooklyn as well as a 2029 first-round pick and second-round picks in 2027 and 2029.

Mavericks general manager Nico Harrison has a well-established relationship with Irving, going back to their Nike days, while head coach Jason Kidd was also involved in the deal. It is believed that the Mavericks got the go-ahead from All-NBA star Luka Doncic as well.

Irving is expected to arrive in Dallas on Monday when he is scheduled to undergo a medical. So long as all goes according to plan, Irving will make his Mavs debut on Wednesday against the Los Angeles Clippers.

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The Brooklyn Nets seem like they just can’t keep their stars happy. After James Harden successfully forced a trade to the Philadelphia 76ers and Kevin Durant requested a trade in the summer before changing his mind, now it’s the star point guard Kyrie Irving’s turn to look for a way out.

According to multiple reports around the league, Irving officially requested to be traded from the Nets on Friday. The move apparently came after the two sides couldn’t agree on a new contract extension. The 30-year-old player is set to become a free agent after the 2022-23 NBA season after picking up his $36.9 million player option in the summer.

Irving is eligible to sign a four-year, $198.5 million maximum extension with the Nets, but the franchise reportedly doesn’t want to tie up that kind of money in a player that was involved in a number of controversies off the court. Brooklyn was willing to make a deal but wanted to include partial guarantees and a series of conditions, something that didn’t sit well with the 8-time All-Star.

There are several teams reportedly interested in acquiring Kyrie Irving before the trade deadline on Thursday, including the Los Angeles Lakers, the Dallas Mavericks, and the Phoenix Suns. The Lakers are considered Irving’s preferred option, but it is unclear whether they can put together an offer that will appeal to the Nets.

 Irving has been playing at a high level this season, averaging 27.1 points, 5.1 rebounds, and 5.3 assists per game. He has been particularly on a tear since mid-January, scoring 30+ points in six out of his last eight games.

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All-Star guard Kyrie Irving decided not to seek the Brooklyn Nets exit anymore. Instead, Irving picked up his 2022-23 player option and intends to play for the Nets next season.

By opting in, Irving is set to earn $36.5 million in 2022-23. He will be an unrestricted free agent after that.

“Normal people keep the world going, but those who dare to be different lead us into tomorrow,” Irving told The Athletic about his decision. “I’ve made my decision to opt-in. See you in the fall. A11even.”

Kyrie Irving spent the past several days looking for a way to leave Brooklyn after he and the Nets reached an “impasse” in extension talks. The franchise proceeded to give Irving the green light to seek a sign-and-trade deal, but this proved to be a more complicated affair than expected. It turned out that only the Los Angeles Lakers were willing to take a swing for the 30-year-old, but the Nets were far from impressed with their offer.

Irving exercising his player option now nixes any sign-and-trade scenario. Brooklyn could still trade him at some point, but that looks unlikely at the time being. The most likely outcome is that the team runs it back with Irving and hopes for the best.

Irving had a turbulent 2021-22 campaign, having played only 29 games due to his decision not to get the COVID-19 vaccine. While he averaged 27.4 points when he was on the floor, his absence greatly affected the Nets and their chances to make a deep playoff run. Brooklyn ended up being eliminated in the first round by the Boston Celtics.

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If the Lakers want to reunite former Cleveland Cavaliers teammates LeBron James and Kyrie Irving in Los Angeles, they will have to give up Anthony Davis. According to ESPN’s NBA Insider Brian Windhorst, the Brooklyn Nets would only entertain trading Irving to the Lakers if Davis is involved in the deal.

Recent reports indicate that Irving and the Nets didn’t progress on contract negotiation, which will prompt the All-Star guard to opt-out of his contract and test the free agency. In this case, he will have a choice to sign with a team that has enough cap space to take him in or work with Brooklyn to execute the sign-and-trade deal.

Irving is reportedly considering the Lakers as one of his possible destinations, and the Nets would reportedly be willing to help him get there. However, they would require Davis to come to Brooklyn for that, further complicating the matter.

It is believed that the Lakers would like to land Irving but in a deal that would also see them offload struggling veteran guard Russell Westbrook. On the other hand, Davis is considered untouchable despite his recent health issues. The 29-year-old only played 76 games in the past two seasons, and his lack of availability was one of the reasons the Lakers missed the postseason in 2021-22.

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Star point guard Kyrie Irving is so committed to playing with the Brooklyn Nets that he would rather retire than suit up for another team. At least, that is what Nick Wright of Fox Sports claims.

Wright, who hosts First Things First at Fox Sports 1, recently went on Twitter to share “some NBA news” with his followers. According to him, Irving’s agents made it clear to the Nets and everyone else that their client would “retire from the NBA” if he was to be traded.

The tweet caught the attention of Irving, who responded to Wright by labeling him as “a puppet.”

Wright then told Irving his “beef” is with his representatives and doubled down on his claim by writing: “You and I both know that’s what they’ve told people.”

Without questioning Wright’s credibility, it is hard to imagine Kyrie Irving walking from the NBA just because he got traded. It is even harder to picture the Nets wanting to trade him.

Throughout the offseason, Brooklyn brass repeatedly stated that they want to keep their superstar trio of Irving, Kevin Durant, and James Harden together for the foreseeable future. The franchise has already locked Durant to a long-term extension and plans to do the same with Irving and Harden.

Also, there is no reason for Brooklyn to make any major shakeups in their roster. They looked like the best team in basketball when they managed to have Irving, Durant, and Harden on the floor together in 2020-21 and are already the favorites to go all the way in 2021-22.

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Boston Celtics’ All-Star guard Kyrie Irving is hitting the open market this summer. According to Shams Charania of The Athletic, Irving will opt out of his current contract with the Celtics and pass on his $21.3 million player option.

Irving rejecting the option doesn’t automatically mean he will leave Boston, however. He is eligible for max extension, which can bring him $33 million in 2019/20, so becoming a free agent makes sense from a financial standpoint.

Although Kyrie Irving stated on numerous occasions in the past that he will stay with the Celtics past this season, the sources around the league say different. Irving is reportedly unhappy in Boston and would welcome the change of scenery with New York Knicks and Brooklyn Nets being the favorites to land him.

The thing that will certainly influence Irving’s decision is the recent injury of Golden State Warriors’ Kevin Durant. The duo reportedly wanted to team up in New York, and form a championship contender. Still, now that Durant tore his ACL and will miss the entire season, he might opt to stay in Golden State and choose long-term security. In this case, Irving might rethink his strategy and look for other teams that could provide him a chance to win another championship.

Irving averaged 23.8 points, 5.0 rebounds, 6.9 assists and 1.5 steals this season.

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Although there were certain doubts that the trade between Cleveland Cavaliers and Boston Celtics for Kyrie Irving could collapse, everything was finalized on Thursday. ESPN reported that Celtics added 2020 second-round draft pick via the Miami Heat to the package already containing Isaiah Thomas, Jae Crowder, Ante Zizic and Brooklyn Nets 2018 first round pick. This was enough for the Cavaliers to complete the trade. Celtics didn’t lose time, and immediately organized a press conference on Friday where they introduced Kyrie Irving alongside free agency signing Gordon Hayward.

*chills* pic.twitter.com/9IQtQAjCXC

— Boston Celtics (@celtics) September 1, 2017

There he is @gordonhayward pic.twitter.com/dJK2hDF2iU

— Boston Celtics (@celtics) September 1, 2017

“I can’t wait to get on the floor and maximize my potential. I just want to be around those incredible coaches and those incredible minds and those incredible individuals, and I feel like in doing that, Boston came right at the exact time and it was meant to be that way. I trust in that, and I’m glad to be here.” – Irving said at the press conference.

The almost done deal between the Cavaliers and Celtics came in danger after Isaiah Thomas underwent his medical in Cleveland. The medical caused further concerns about his hip injury and Cavaliers felt Boston wasn’t fully transparent about it previous to making the deal. Although there were some reports about Cavaliers asking for a young star like Jayson Tatum to be added to the deal or another first round pick, at the end, they had to satisfy themselves with a second rounder.

The trade between the Celtics and Cavaliers will bring some entertainment to the traditionally uneventful Eastern Conference, but the majority of the analysts consider that Boston Celtic are not that close to challenging the Cavs for the spot in the NBA Finals. For a year, Cleveland will be, if not better, at least as good as they were last season if Isaiah Thomas gets recovered as planned and continues with performances he put up in Boston last season. Jae Crowder will bring a stability in the defense, while Brooklyn Nets pick sets Cleveland for the future in case James decides to go. If he decides to stay, the pick can be used to lure another star to Cleveland in attempt to put an end to the reign of the Warriors.

The post Cavaliers Get Additional 2nd round Pick from Celtics and Finalize Kyrie Irving Trade appeared first on SportzBonanza.

On Wednesday, Isaiah Thomas finally broke the silence and said “I am not damaged. I’ll be back, and I’ll be the same player. No doctor has told me anything different than that.” in an interview with ESPN. This came after Thomas had an unsuccessful medical with Cleveland Cavaliers making them question the trade they made with Boston Celtics. Many reporters called Thomas a “damaged good” afterward. It looks like Isaiah is determined to prove them wrong.

Blockbuster trade between the Boston Celtics and Cleveland Cavaliers saw Kyrie Irving taking on the Celtics jersey, while the Cavs got Isaiah Thomas, Jae Crowder, Ante Zizic and Brooklyn Nets 2018 first round pick. But, the trade still isn’t finalized and could collapse due to Isaiah Thomas hip injury.

Thomas was injured during the Eastern Conference Finals game 2 against the Cavs and was ruled out for the reminder of the series. He chose not to have the surgery and was expected to return to the court by the beginning of this season. However, the medical he had in Cleveland cast some doubt on that and showed that Thomas’ return could be significantly delayed. This put both the Celtics and the Cavs in an awkward situation. Celtics don’t want to lose a chance to have a superstar player like Irving while Cavaliers are now uncertain about the value they got in return if it turns out that Thomas won’t be able to play for the majority of the season. In order for Thomas to be of value for the Cavs, he needs to play the entire seasons, since he will be a free agent next year.

It has been reported by multiple sources that Cleveland Cavaliers are now asking for more assets from Celtics in order for this trade to go through. It looks like Cavs have their eyes set on additional first round or second round pick.

The post Isaiah Thomas Confident He Will Be the “Same Player” After the Hip Injury appeared first on SportzBonanza.

You probably know this by now. In a blockbuster deal, Kyrie Irving was sent to the Boston Celtics in exchange for Isaiah Thomas, Jae Crowder, Ante Zizic and Brooklyn Nets 2018 first round draft pick. Since Kyrie Irving requested a trade a few weeks ago, there were lots of people unimpressed by his move and desire to be “the man”. Kevin Durant has an opposite opinion. On The Bill Simmons Podcast (transcript by The Ringer) he expressed his appreciation for Irving’s move saying “He did what he was supposed to do in Cleveland. It’s on to the next chapter. I can really appreciate what he did. He stood up for himself, he showed a lot of courage, man, because it’s hard to take that type of criticism. When you just want to play ball. I feel him on that.“

Durant also said Kyrie reminds him of himself and that he can relate to the stuff Kyrie was going through before the trade: “Kyrie reminds me of myself, just from the outside looking in. I may be wrong on all these things, but from the outside looking in, I’ve been around him for a month or so, he reminds me of myself as far as just loving to play the game, just wanting to learn it and try to get better at it every day. I can feel that, I can sense that in him.“

Talking about Irving’s new team, the Boston Celtics, Kevin Durant thinks Kyrie is a perfect fit. “It’s a perfect system for him in Boston; it’s a perfect fit. Because he’s a 6-foot-3 Isaiah Thomas, basically, and Isaiah just thrived in that system, and then he got Gordon Hayward and Al Horford, who are gonna be able to make plays for him, too. It’s gonna be pretty sweet. I think it was a great deal. But I just think Kyrie just wanted a place where he can focus on just playing basketball and not worrying about the other drama that comes with.“

You can check out the entire Bill Simmons Podcast featuring Kevin Durant on this link.
Kevin Durant left the Oklahoma City Thunder in 2016, becoming a free agent and eventually signing with the Golden State Warriors. He led them to an NBA Finals win over Cleveland Cavaliers, earning himself NBA Finals Most Valuable Player Award in the process.

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