The Cleveland Cavaliers have suddenly hit the brakes with their trade that would send Kyrie Irving to the Boston Celtics, and one line of thinking is that they could have a better offer from another team. That team could be the Milwaukee Bucks.
ESPN’s Zach Lowe reports that the Bucks are willing to offer Cleveland a package centered around reigning NBA Rookie of the Year Malcolm Brogdon and shooting guard Khris Middleton. While Milwaukee has not yet offered a first-round draft pick, Lowe believes they would be willing to add one if Irving showed interest in signing a long-term deal.
For starters, Irving was reportedly thrilled to be traded to Boston, so he could — and should — make life difficult on the Cavs by refusing to agree to stay with any other team long term. And even if he was willing to commit to the Bucks, is their offer really any better than Boston’s?
The biggest asset the Cavs would be getting from the Celtics is the Brooklyn Nets’ 2018 first-round pick, which has a legitimate chance at being No. 1 overall. They’d also be getting an All-Star point guard in Isaiah Thomas and excellent role player with an even better contract in Jae Crowder. It’s unlikely any other team will beat that deal, otherwise Cleveland wouldn’t have agreed to the trade in the first place.
The Cavs are concerned about Thomas’ injured hip, and one report about the point guard’s recovery could help explain why. However, the Celtics insist they were forthcoming about the injury from the start. If Cleveland wasn’t negotiating in good faith in an attempt to get a better offer from another team, the NBA should step in.
