Let’s be honest, it’s going to take something special to catch the Golden State Warriors.
But on Tuesday night, the Boston Celtics gave it a go as they traded Isaiah Thomas, Jae Crowder, Ante Zizic and a 2018 first-round pick acquired from the Brooklyn Nets to the Cleveland Cavaliers for four-time All-Star point guard Kyrie Irving.
The deal ends Irving’s lengthy trade saga and gives the Celtics — whose starting five is now one of the most imposing in basketball — a Finals winner that helped slay the Warriors in 2016.
Just looking at it on paper though, this looks like a pretty entertaining Eastern Conference finals matchup:
Boston Celtics projected starting five
PG: Kyrie Irving
SG: Gordon Hayward
SF: Jaylen Brown
PF: Marcus Morris
C: Al Horford
Cleveland Cavaliers projected starting five
PG: Isaiah Thomas
SG: JR Smith
SF: LeBron James
PF: Kevin Love
C: Tristan Thompson
Obviously, the deal has shaken up Vegas as there is a team that can now legitimately challenge the Cavaliers to make it out of the East this year.
Here are the latest NBA championship odds, courtesy of Odds Shark.
Spoiler alert, Knicks and Nets fans, you’re not near the top of the list:
2017 NBA championship odds
Golden State Warriors: 20/37
Cleveland Cavaliers: 5/1
Boston Celtics: 6/1
Houston Rockets: 10/1
San Antonio Spurs: 11/1
Minnesota Timberwolves: 25/1
Oklahoma City Thunder: 33/1
Milwaukee Bucks: 66/1
Washington Wizards: 66/1
Miami Heat: 80/1
Philadelphia 76ers: 80/1
Toronto Raptors: 80/1
Denver Nuggets: 100/1
Los Angeles Clippers: 100/1
New Orleans Pelicans: 125/1
Utah Jazz: 150/1
Los Angeles Lakers: 200/1
Portland Trail Blazers: 200/1
Charlotte Hornets: 250/1
Dallas Mavericks: 250/1
Detroit Pistons: 300/1
Memphis Grizzlies: 300/1
Atlanta Hawks: 500/1
Indiana Pacers: 500/1
New York Knicks: 500/1
Phoenix Suns: 750/1
Sacramento Kings: 750/1
Brooklyn Nets: 1,000/1
Chicago Bulls: 1,000/1
Orlando Magic: 1,000/1
