Of all the crazy ramifications of Tuesday’s blockbuster trade between the Boston Celtics and Cleveland Cavaliers, here’s one that might get overlooked: The Celtics no longer have a vested interest in the failure of the Brooklyn Nets.
The Celtics acquired Kyrie Irving from the Cavs by dealing Isaiah Thomas, Jae Crowder, Ante Zizic and the Nets’ 2018 first-round draft pick. That Nets pick was Boston’s final direct asset from its 2013 mega deal with Brooklyn that sent Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett out of town — a trade that’s widely regarded as one of the most lopsided in NBA history.
Just how lopsided, you ask? With the book officially closed …