Kyrie Irving rocked the NBA world in summer 2017 when he requested a trade from the Cleveland Cavaliers, just one season removed from winning the franchise's first an NBA title alongside LeBron James. As a member of the Cavs for six years, he felt the mid-point of his career was a perfect time to become the focal point of an NBA team.
Irving reportedly had four preferred destinations: The San Antonio Spurs, New York Knicks, Miami Heat and Minnesota Timberwolves. While the Cavs eventually traded him to the Boston Celtics yet still made the NBA Finals the following season, one question begs an answer just over six years later: Did Cleveland get enough for trading a superstar like Irving?
What Cavaliers really received for trading Kyrie Irving
The trade the Cavs ultimately chose was to send Irving to the Celtics in exchange for Isaiah Thomas, Jae Crowder, Ante Žižić and the rights to the Brooklyn Nets' 2018 first-round draft pick, which eventually became Collin Sexton.
Eight months after moving Irving, Cleveland got busy at the 2018 trade deadline. The Cavs shipped Thomas, Channing Frye and a first-round round pick to get Jordan Clarkson and Larry Nance Jr. They then used Crowder, Iman Shumpert and Derrick Rose to get Rodney Hood. By that point, Cleveland had effectively received Clarkson, Hood and Nance Jr. for Irving.
Once LeBron left the Cavaliers again after the 2017-18 season, the Cavs completely revamped their roster. This is where it gets a bit messy. Clarkson was traded for Dante Exum and two second-round picks in 2019. Hood was dealt to the Portland Trail Blazers the same time as Clarkson to acquire Nik Stauskas, Wade Baldwin and two second-round picks.
Both Nance Jr. and Sexton managed to stay with the Cavs for a few more years, until the 2021 offseason. Nance Jr. would be the first to leave, part of a sign-and-trade with the Blazers and Chicago Bulls that snagged them Lauri Markkanen. An offseason later, Markkanen and Sexton were the main pieces in a blockbuster trade with the Utah Jazz—that also included the draft rights to Ochai Agbaji, three first round picks and two pick swaps—that landed Donovan Mitchell in Northeast Ohio.
When it was all said and done? The Cavs technically traded Irving, three-first-round picks, two pick swaps and Agbaji to acquire Mitchell and four second-round picks. They haven't won a title since he left, but at least still got a star in return for parting ways with Irving—no matter what happens with Mitchell going forward.
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