Cavaliers agree to Kyrie Irving trade with Celtics for additional second round pick

The Cleveland Cavaliers and Boston Celtics had remained locked up on a deal that would send Kyrie Irving to the Celtics in exchange for Isaiah Thomas, Jae Crowder, Ante Zizic and Brooklyn’s 2018 first round pick due to Thomas’ ailing hip and concerns about when he could start the season.

Well, the long national nightmare is over, and the two teams have finally agreed on a deal. The Cavaliers picking up the Miami Heat’s second round pick in 2020, per ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski and USA Today’s Jeff Zilgitt.

Just 10 minutes prior to Woj breaking the news of the completed deal, he suggested the Cavs were in the process of pursuing a first round pick.

Well, this was certainly much ado about nothing. The Celtics clearly felt they’d been forthcoming with info about Thomas’ hip, and that they didn’t owe much more than they’d already given. If that is the case, it’s certainly fair for them to feel that way, as they’d already paid a king’s ransom to acquire Irving.

For the Cavaliers, it’s a marginal increase on an already strong deal for the team. A 2020 second rounder doesn’t mean much, but smart teams always value assets, however they can get them.

We’ll see if there’s any long-term damage to repair with Thomas after the holdout. But for now, it’s nice to know that the whole affair is finally behind us.