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

You can’t take things back, but don’t fool yourself

There is no going back now. The deal was done, and it’s not all bad. If all goes to plan, Collin Sexton should emerge as a star in this league for many years to come.

But to say the Cavs won the Kyrie Irving deal, or that they’re in a better position now than they would’ve been had they kept him, is a lie.

With Kyrie, the Cavs could’ve retained a bonafide first-option, MVP-candidate type player. There would be no talk of semi-rebuild. There would be no questions over whether or not Cleveland was still a playoff team.

Even in the worst-case scenario, with Irving not buying back into the organization, things would not be that much different. Sure, they wouldn’t have Zizic or Nance Jr, but there’s no certainty that they ever become anything worthwhile.

In the end, Cleveland fans would’ve just had to wait another year before hyping up their newest rookie.