At this stage in the offseason, all teams are usually filling out the remainder of their training camp rosters in anticipation for the 2017-18 NBA season. However, this year was quite different as Kyrie Irving requested a trade from the Cleveland Cavaliers.
After Irving was traded to the Boston Celtics, he joins Gordon Hayward and Al Horford. According to Dave McMenamin of ESPN, Irving recruited Hayward to Cleveland back in 2014 free agency:
Kyrie Irving recruited Gordon Hayward in the summer of 2014 to have him come join him in CLE. Now in the summer of 2017 he joins GH in BOS.
— Dave McMenamin (@mcten) August 22, 2017
In 2014, the Jazz informed Hayward to find an offer sheet, which they would match in restricted free agency. Instead of signing him to a five-year, $80 million deal, he signed a four-year, $63 million offer sheet with the Charlotte Hornets. As a result, Hayward admitted the situation was bothersome after he signed with the Celtics.
With the Celtics adding another All-Star and a high lottery pick, it will be interesting to see if they can dethrone the Cavaliers. It is extremely rare for the top two teams in one conference to make a trade, but the Cavaliers did receive Isaiah Thomas, Jae Crowder, Ante Zizic, and the 2018 Brooklyn Nets unprotected first round pick.
As the trade is official, Irving will face LeBron James and his former team at the Quicken Loans Arena in the 2017-18 season opener.
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