After a month of conflicting reports, there was a resolution to Kyrie Irving's future with the Cleveland Cavaliers as he was traded to the Boston Celtics. Despite Irving's trade request, the Cavaliers were able to salvage the situation by acquiring Isaiah Thomas, Jae Crowder, Ante Zizac and Brooklyn Nets 2018 draft pick.

Prior to the official trade, Jayson Tatum was reportedly part of the discussions. According to Joe Giza of WBZ-TV, the third overall pick in the 2017 NBA Draft discussed the Irving trade:

For the Celtics, they have had the pieces necessary to acquire a superstar player over the years. After being linked to Paul George and Jimmy Butler, President of Basketball Operations and general manager Danny Ainge felt Irving was the player they felt they could give up a high-lottery pick for.

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Heading into the new season, the Celtics have established a roster that is expected to compete against the Cleveland Cavaliers in the Eastern Conference Finals. While LeBron James remains the best player on both teams, the additions of Gordon Hayward and Al Horford over the past two offseasons make it an intriguing matchup.

Fortunately for basketball fans around the world, both teams will face off against each other in the 2017-18 NBA season opener.