"The Stack" 8-23-17
Kyrie Irving got his wish. He has been traded to the Boston Celtics. The Cleveland Cavaliers receive in return Isaiah Thomas, Jae Crowder, a first round pick and more.
The Stack is back with this midweek post and yes the Connor McGregor-Floyd Mayweather is getting closer and closer with both fighters arriving in Las Vegas Tuesday. That’s not the biggest storyline coming out of Tuesday though. You should know what it is by now, but let’s find out for sure in “the stack” for today, Wednesday, August 22nd:
Kyrie Irving heading to Boston
In a mega deal and somewhat seemingly out of nowhere, Kyrie Irving got his wish and is leaving the Cleveland Cavaliers. The Cavs though appear to have gotten more than they could have from just about any other team sending Irving to the Boston Celtics for Isaiah Thomas, Jae Crowder, Ante Zizic and a 2018 first round pick. The pick is important because it is an unprotected pick that the Celtics had from the Brooklyn Nets and it will remain that way. Irving no doubt is one of the best players in the NBA, but what Thomas did last year in Boston was remarkable. Here now he gets to play with the best player in the NBA (that’s LeBron James if you didn’t know) and help get the Cavs back to the NBA Finals. Yes this deal helps push Boston closer to the Cavs, but Thomas is more than capable of making up for most of Irving’s production. Maybe I’m drinking the Kool-aid a little bit too much on Thomas, but this trade seems to be perfect for the Cavs to stay competitive, have a chance to keep LeBron James and keep their team at least with a decent future if James decides to leave.
The trade no doubt rocked the NBA. It didn’t seem like anyone knew that this deal was coming. First a report emerged that the two sides had engaged in trade talks and next thing you know, the deal is done. Irving may regret not wanting to play alongside James, but he goes to a place now where they expect to close the gap on the Cavaliers and set themselves up to be the team to beat in the east for many years to come. I like this trade for both sides, but I like it for the Cavs just a little bit more.
Jon Jones has a positive drug test
UFC light heavyweight champion Jon Jones failed a drug test last month at UFC 214 according to UFC President Dana White. Having said that, it does not sound like Jones will be stripped of his title, at least not yet. This isn’t the first time Jones has failed a drug test. He was suspended a year for the first one. He was ready to fight just about anyone, including Brock Lesnar. It’s hard to imagine quite what is going to happen at this point. Jones may be done for a while, we may never see him again in the octagon or nothing will be done about it. I have a hard time thinking that nothing bad is going to happen to him as a result of this, but with the UFC you never know. One thing is certain. This is a bad look for Jones and his camp and is not a devastating blow to UFC, but it definitely stings things and doesn’t look good. We’ll see what happens next for Jones.
Miscellaneous headlines
Miami Marlins slugger Giancarlo Stanton hit his 46th homerun of the year Tuesday against the Philadelphia Phillies. He is staying on pace for 61 homeruns. I won’t be surprised if he reaches 62 or 63.
New York Giants wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. hurt his ankle in Monday night’s preseason game with the Cleveland Browns. It turned out to be just a sprain, but it may cost him the season opener against the Dallas Cowboys. Stay tuned.
Finally, Minnesota Timberwolves rising star Andrew Wiggins has parted ways with his agent who had negotiated a five-year $148 million maximum contract extension. Don’t know when or even if Wiggins will sign that max deal. Hope he does so the Timberwolves remain a team on the rise and inching closer to great things.
Coming up Thursday or later this week: Reaction to top stories and headlines in the sports world.