Could the Celtics have been better off NOT trading for Kyrie Irving?

Did the Boston Celtics make a mistake in dealing away Isaiah Thomas for Kyrie Irving?

First, let’s start out with a few critical caveats here — this is not an article to bash Danny Ainge for being heartless regarding IT after he hurt himself giving his all for the Celtics. There’s an argument to be had regarding its optics, but it was a business decision in trying to get some value out of the found money that was Thomas’ contract, and a very defensible if indeed ice-cold one. The perspective being explored here is less to do with that, and more to do with what could have happened if the Celtics simply let the Tacoma native walk.

Or, perhaps, let the market dictate his next contract, saving the proverbial powder used to grease the deal to the Cleveland Cavaliers instead.

"But you can't go back in time and know what Boston would have done!", you say -- and that is true. Counterfactual arguments have their limits, and given how inscrutable the ACTUAL moves this organization makes until they end up happening are, it's an exceptionally valid point. But we can see what other teams did with those assets, which turns out to be quite a lot. Monday morning quarterbacking of this sort needs to be taken with a mound of salt, but the haul sent out for Irving brought back a pretty impressive return when amalgamated with other players and assets the teams which ended up with them had on hand. https://twitter.com/TheCelticsWire/status/1352650130940420098?s=20

The Celtics sent out one of the picks acquired from the last time the Brooklyn Nets went title crazy, netting them Collin Sexton in the process. They also sent out big man Ante Zizic (who didn't pan out), Jae Crowder, a second round pick that became Skylar Mays and of course IT. Thomas would be flipped for Larry Nance Jr. and Jordan Clarkson, the latter flipped again for Dante Exum, who helped Cleveland land Jarrett Allen. https://twitter.com/TheCelticsWire/status/1352623163683852289?s=20

Crowder was turned into George Hill, flipped for the Bucks pick that also helped land Allen as well as Matthew Dellavedova and John Henson, who helped the Cavs deal for Andre Drummond. It's a little dizzying, and of course not replicable on a one-to-one basis given the assets mixed into the original components over time. But perhaps it may also cast business decisions in a slightly different light in the future, showing that there's more than one way out of a tough situation. Particularly when you're as good at squeezing value out of trades as Danny Ainge and company are. [jwplayer 4MgySWFk-z6KDnl0B] [lawrence-related id=45777,45772,45766,45764] [listicle id=45768]