Cavaliers reportedly asked for Jaylen Brown or Jayson Tatum, while Boston is hesitant to even give up a second-round pick.
It still seems like Kyrie Irving will be a Celtic and Isaiah Thomas will join the Cavaliers, but for now, trade talks have stalled. After Thomas underwent a physical for an injured hip, Cleveland is demanding more compensation and each side appears to have drawn a line in the sand.
ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reported on SportsCenter (per NESN) that Cleveland will inquire about Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum, Boston’s two versatile wings and top picks from the last two drafts. Any sane person would ask about them, since they’re both fantastic prospects, but it’s hard to see that actually happening. There shouldn’t be any scenario where Boston would give up either player.
In fact, the Celtics feel like their current proposed trade is perfectly fair. That’s understandable, since they didn’t do anything to hide Thomas’ injury and already are paying a hefty price.
The Athletic’s Jason Lloyd reports that the Celtics view the agreed-upon trade — Irving for Thomas, Jae Crowder, Ante Zizic, and Brooklyn’s 2018 first-round pick — as a final offer. But Yahoo Sports’ Chris Mannix paints a slightly more flexible situation.
What ends up happening?
If Boston sources are already saying that they “may” part with a second-round pick, then it’s likely that happens.
Other options include Terry Rozier, a decent young prospect, or the Clippers’ 2018 first-round pick, which is lottery protected. Boston has a couple other first-round picks, but both are more valuable and it’s highly unlikely they’d consider parting with them.
Cleveland is likely angling for one of those two higher-level assets, while Boston insists that the most they would part with is a future second-rounder. Eventually, with both sides motivated to make this trade happen, someone has to give.