The Milwaukee Bucks placed quite the premium on acquiring Kyrie Irving before he was shipped off to the Boston Celtics.
According to Arizona Sports 98.7 FM’s John Gambadoro, Milwaukee dangled Rookie of the Year Malcolm Brogdon, Khris Middleton and a pick in exchange for the All-Star point guard:
Suns were never really in on Kyrie but here is a nugget – Milwaukee was close – offered Brogdon, Middleton and a 1st round pick.
— John Gambadoro (@Gambo987) August 23, 2017
Some variation of this trade floated around NBA circles from the beginning. Other forms included an additional first-round pick, but this was the baseline for an offer many thought the Bucks could/should make, so it’s not beyond the realm of possibility they actually tested it out.
If they did, the Cavaliers should count themselves as lucky. The Celtics’ offer satisfies more of what they were looking for—a return built around the present and future. But Middleton and Brogdon are two rangy defenders who would thrive playing off LeBron James. Mix in the first-round pick, and this package was a good alternative, which is something the Cavaliers would have been able to leverage in negotiations with the Celtics.
On some level, in terms of tangible pieces, this return is actually better. Middleton, like Jae Crowder, has deep defensive chops and is on a below-market deal. Brogdon doesn’t sniff Isaiah Thomas’ offensive value, but he’s a much more effective defender and under contract, before restricted free agency, for the next two years.
Boston’s inclusion of the Brooklyn Nets’ 2018 first-round pick makes the difference. Where an unprotected selection from the Bucks would have fallen outside the lottery, that choice should still fall inside the top five.
So yes, the Cavaliers did well in the Celtics trade. And they did even better, apparently, to set up an alternative as fiercely good as the one presented by the Bucks.
