Just a few bits;
Irving’s last contract year is a player option. Barring a major injury, he’ll decline it because the max deal has risen significantly since he signed. That makes him controllable for two seasons, although he may re-sign a new max deal when that comes to pass. As good of a shooter as he is, Irving’s ability to get to the hoop is absolutely tremendous.
Neither Irving nor Thomas are good defenders. At all. It doesn’t seem to be related to effort for either; they just don’t have the lateral quickness.
Thomas is only controllable for one season, and he’ll almost certainly be testing the market when he’s done. There won’t be a Boston homecoming unless Irving finds himself on the trading block once again, because they’re basically the same player (a score-first point guard) and Irving is an upgrade.
Jae Crowder has three years left on his deal, all under the Cavaliers control. He’s an interesting piece and fits well with the rest of the team.
The wild card of the unprotected Brooklyn draft pick (which SHOULD be a good one) is not insignificant. Nobody knows until the lottery how good or “meh” that will be, however. Ante Zizic is a well thought-of prospect who banged bodies fairly well in the summer league, but I’m not holding my breath. Tristan Thompson’s limitations as a post player have become well-known and being able to slide a more dynamic player into the pivot will be welcomed by the Cavaliers, but Zizic has yet to lace up his shoes for an NBA game so time will tell if he’s that player.
I see why the Celtics made the move; they routinely got beat like a drum in the playoffs against the Cavaliers, and getting Irving both takes away a top-flight weapon from their inter-conference rival and upgrades their own version. They had to make a change to alter what must have started to feel like their destiny. They have young, talented pieces to put around Irving and look to be quite potent for at least the next two seasons.
The Cavaliers got quite the haul, and frankly did better than I expected. They wanted Irving gone once the news leaked, having no interest in any more drama than required (yes, Thomas will be hitting the market, but neither the fanbase nor the locker room is invested in him and no “betrayal” vibes will be felt), and the talent received in return is collectively far greater than that leaving. Of course, Irving is the best player in the mix, and losing that elite scorer is going to be felt. However, one thing this last Championship series showed is that sometimes you need more than just the ability to score, and that’s where the balance of players comes into the mix.