The Boston Celtics sent the Cleveland Cavaliers a 2020 second-round draft pick to complete the blockbuster trade that sent four-time All-Star guard Kyrie Irving to the Celtics, the Cavaliers confirmed Wednesday night.
The key player headed to Cleveland in the deal, guard Isaiah Thomas, has a hip injury that prompted the Cavaliers to seek additional compensation. Cleveland also got Jae Crowder, Ante Zizic and an unprotected 2018 first-round draft pick via the Brooklyn Nets in exchange for Irving.
Irving, who played one season at Duke before being selected first overall by the Cavaliers in 2011, had asked for a trade out of Cleveland.
The Celtics resisted the Cavs’ attempt to get another first-round pick or a young star to compensate Cleveland for its reluctance to sign off on Thomas’ injury, which Boston said it was transparent about.
The 2020 pick that Cleveland will receive originally belonged to Miami before the Heat sent to Boston in the Zoran Dragic deal in July 2015.
Prior to the Wednesday agreement, the teams risked walking away from the deal that had been announced on Aug. 22. The options included voiding the trade completely or renegotiating.
The Cavaliers felt the Celtics were not completely forthcoming about the length of rehabilitation facing Thomas, who sustained the hip injury in March. The Celtics maintained they provided the necessary information to the Cavs.
“There’s never been an indication that I wouldn’t be back, and there’s never been an indication that this is something messing up my career,” Thomas told ESPN on Tuesday. “Maybe I am not going to be back as soon this season as everyone wants me to be, but I’m going to be back, and I’m going to be the same player again. No doctor has told me anything different than that.”
It remains unclear when Thomas will return to action.
