That's a really good trade for Cleveland. Irving is a better player than Thomas, who is literally the worst defensive player in the league, but Kyrie is a terrible defender in his own right. Thomas is a legitimate scorer who is only slightly less efficient than Irving.
Key to the deal is Crowder, who is a good enough defender to take the primary scorer, resting LeBron. That, along with a 2018 first from the Nets that is unprotected (and likely a top-5 pick) is a hell of a haul for a guy that everyone knew wanted out.
Now Irving can fulfill his destiny of being a miniature Dominique Wilkins.
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"When the Know-Nothings get control, it will read 'all men are created equal, except negroes, and foreigners, and Catholics.' When it comes to this I should prefer emigrating to some country where they make no pretense of loving liberty – to Russia, for instance, where despotism can be taken pure, and without the base alloy of hypocrisy.”--Abraham Lincoln
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