In an ironically sudden spur of events, the Cleveland Cavaliers traded their former 2011 No. 1 overall selection, Kyrie Irving, for the very last of that same draft, Isaiah Thomas, formerly of the Boston Celtics.
Kyrie Irving for Isaiah Thomas would mean trading the No. 1 pick for the 60th pick from the 2011 draft.
— Chris Palmer (@ChrisPalmerNBA) August 22, 2017
If this trade was proposed and accepted six years ago, this would seem like an awful exchange — but in reality their talents are closer than their draft history indicates, as Thomas has worked his way from a bench player to a reliable starter, to one eventually ranking third in the league's scoring list.
Irving has enjoyed a spot in the starting rotation since starting his career with the Cavs, consistently making strides to his game and becoming an All-Star player.
The 5-foot-9 Thomas was considered among the top five choices for the Most Valuable Player award, making his value take a massive vault from being the 60th overall selection.
Both teams will still have a star point guard in their starting lineup and one that is sure to fill up the stat sheet come the start of the season, and while their fate in the NBA Draft was at opposite tails, their future will once again align as Eastern Conference rivals this upcoming season.
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