Sixers will have to go up against fortified Celtics team
The Atlantic Division leaders just made a big move, and the Sixers will have to keep up with a prolonged core.
The Boston Celtics were apart of the biggest trade of the offseason. In a move to get Kyrie Irving, the Celtics parted ways with Isaiah Thomas, Jae Crowder, Ante Zizic, and the Nets 2018 first-round pick. This seems like an absolute haul for the unnerved Irving, but the Sixers now have a different challenge ahead of them.
The Celtics had somewhat of a predicament on their hands. At the end of the season, Isaiah Thomas would have forced Boston to negotiate for a max deal. They would have still held the Nets pick, which would have set them straight for the future. But, the Celtics are actually better off in the long term.
Kyrie Irving at 25-years old on a team friendly deal gives Boston a young star to pair with Gordon Hayward for at least the next couple seasons. They still hold promising wings in Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum. They still hold potential top five picks in the 2018 Lakers and 2019 Kings picks, who turn to the Sixers if they fall in the top slot.
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The Sixers come into this season as playoff favorites, and could match up with division rivals in the first round. Markelle Fultz, Ben Simmons, and Joel Embiid will lead Philadelphia in their quest towards progress. Where the Sixers fall short of the Celtics right now is clearly just established players.
Kyrie Irving extends this chance for a solid core for the Celtics at least another couple of seasons, and could pose as the East’s elite team. For the Sixers to reach their maximum potential, they’ll have to go through LeBron James, and then through Boston. The next few seasons will be telling if Philadelphia will ever amount to more then just a mid-level playoff team, as the rest of the East is planning for long term.
Boston is no longer on the verge of losing out on a star, or overpaying one who may not prove to be worth it in Isaiah Thomas. Instead, Boston gave up expendable pieces to get Irving. And while Cleveland got the better half of the deal, the Celtics improved their future chances.
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The Celtics fortified their future with Kyrie Irving. And while parting the Nets pick seems overboard, for the Celtics it works perfectly. For the Sixers, it means having to face a competent playoff team for years to come, four times a year.