Don’t kid yourself, the Cavs did not win the Kyrie Irving trade

Felger: “Irving didn’t finish the year, and they [the Cavs] drafted eighth overall.”

Felger’s main argument is that the Kyrie deal was ultimately a lateral move for Boston. He contends that, even had they not gotten Irving, they would have likely ended the season in the same fashion: losing to the Cavs in the Conference Finals.

He isn’t wrong. Kyrie was out before the playoffs started. And though he had an impressive season for the guys in green, there’s reason to believe the Celts would’ve finished in the same spot without him.

Felger references the fact that, without Kyrie, the Celtics were 14-8 this year. That’s a .636 winning percentage—a pace for 52 wins, only three less than they won with Irving. If everything else went accordingly, they would’ve tied for the second seed with Philadelphia.

Even if IT had just as disappointing a comeback, they likely could’ve relied on Scary Terry Rozier to propel them into a similar spot in the standings.

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What Felger does not emphasize, however, is that the Cavs certainly would’ve been better had Kyrie played for them.

Kyrie’s choice to get knee surgery in April was due to the Celtics having already locked up the two-seed. Looking at the roster, especially with the key absence of Gordon Hayward, Boston knew they could make a push for a Finals spot with a rickety Irving, or they could get him healthy for next year’s fully reloaded squad.

Had Irving still been in Cleveland, there’s a chance he would’ve gotten this surgery done in August and been ready by January or February. His timeline would’ve been much different.

Granted, this could’ve been a decision out of spite, a way to sit out for three-to-five months if Cleveland did not honor his trade request. But even then, the Cavs still could’ve signed formidable point guard Jose Calderon at the veteran’s minimum to fill the gap, the same way they did as they waited for Thomas.

It’s not hard to imagine the Cavs finishing in the four or five spot while awaiting Irving’s return. And without as much turnover in key rotational spots, there’s a possibility they could’ve been playing better by year’s end.

Yes, Irving was disgruntled, but they didn’t have to trade him. He is on contract through next year with a player option. And winning oftentimes solves inner-team disputes.

While you can be a cynic and say the Cavs still would’ve gotten swept in the Finals, they had a more than real chance of winning both Games One and Two in Golden State. With an Irving after knee surgery and a few months to recoup, they may have gotten over the hump. Valuable minutes in these games would’ve gone to him rather than Jordan Clarkson or J.R. Smith.

Win one or both of these games and the same everything-is-falling-apart-for-the-Warriors narrative from their Houston series probably rears its ugly head again.

Another shot at the Dubs, especially after some crumbling against the Rockets and the multitudes of narratives that would’ve went around had Irving chosen an August surgery, may have pushed him to set aside his problems with Daddy LeBron and ball out—something Kyrie is best at.