BOSTON – When it comes to winning, all NBA teams try to straddle that fine line between racking up victories in the present with nurturing success for the future.
Achieving both was among the many reasons why the Boston Celtics pulled the trigger on a blockbuster deal Tuesday night to acquire Kyrie Irving from Cleveland in exchange for Isaiah Thomas, Jae Crowder, Ante Zizic and the rights to an unprotected 2018 first-round pick from Brooklyn.
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Celtics co-owner Wyc Grousbeck spoke about the trade on Wednesday at a Topping Off Ceremony for the Auerbach Center at New Balance World Headquarters.
“He’s a transcendent player,” Grousbeck told reporters, referring to Irving. “We are excited to put him together with Gordon Hayward, Al Horford, Marcus Smart.”
Grousbeck didn’t hesitate to make it absolutely clear why the trade was made.
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“We want this team to go for Banner 18,” he said. “We need to get the best possible players. That’s what we’re trying to do.”
In Irving, the Celtics add a 25-year-old point guard who has already been named to four all-star teams which includes being a starter, not to mention Irving is also a gold medal-winning Olympian who also has an NBA title to his long list of accolades.
Having won more games last season (53) than any team in the East, there was a tremendous amount of pressure on the Celtics to be even better this season before the trade.
They signed Gordon Hayward, one of the top free agents available after having spent his first seven seasons in the NBA with the Utah Jazz.
Boston had the number one pick, but traded down two spots with Philadelphia for the No. 3 pick and a future first-round selection, and still managed to get the player they wanted all along - Jayson Tatum.
Now with Irving on the roster, expectations for the Celtics will be even greater.
But you won’t find Grousbeck making any bold predictions, especially when asked about whether the trade puts his Celtics ahead of the Cavaliers who knocked Boston off in the Eastern Conference finals in just five games.
“I’m not going to make any predictions about that,” Grousbeck said. “I think we’re in a good position to represent Celtic pride well. We have a strong team, an up and coming team, a young team with more youth on the way. We want to be good for a sustained period of time and it starts now.”