The 2017 NBA offseason may go down as the best offseason period in league history, with many unforeseen events occurring just after the conclusion of the NBA Finals. Just when fans and the league thought it was dying down, the Cleveland Cavaliers and Boston Celtics agreed to a trade surrounding Kyrie Irving and Isaiah Thomas.
The Celtics would receive an All-Star in Irving, while the Cavaliers would acquire Thomas, Jae Crowder, Ante Zizic and the Brooklyn Nets’ 2018 first-round draft pick. However, things have since not gone down as planned.
While the Cleveland Cavaliers were conducting their physicals for the assets they would be receiving, they noticed that Thomas did indeed have a hip injury, which may require surgery.
Because of that the Cavaliers are now pondering the thought of requesting an additional piece in the trade, which is not yet finalized. While there haven’t been able any formal announcements yet, the Cavaliers have an idea of what they would inquire about. While they will continue negotiations going forward, Joe Vardon of Cleveland.com reports that there is an implemented deadline for them to come to an agreement by:
A Cavs source said the two sides need to reach a conclusion by Wednesday evening or mutually agree to extend the deadline. Though the Cavs could void the trade based on Thomas’ injury, a source with knowledge of Cleveland’s thinking still expected a deal to get done.
During this time, the Cavaliers have given a preference when analyzing the roster of the Celtics. Recently hired general manager Koby Altman and his staff have prioritized Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum. While the Cavaliers would certainly encourage just adding one of them to the trade, the Celtics may have some concerns over reorganizing the pieces involved in the trade.
The Cavaliers have gone through a whirlwind of events this offseason, stemming from when former general manager David Griffin resigned. Since then, the drama surrounded LeBron James’ impending free agency and Irving’s trade request have left the team in a state of shock so it will be interesting to see if they are able to finalize the trade with Boston.
