Kyrie Irving to Boston.
Isaiah Thomas to Cleveland.
It's done. It's happening. And they'll square off on opening night!
The NBA's insane off-season of some of the league's brightest stars getting dealt has continued with Kyrie Irving's request to leave Cleveland approved in a blockbuster trade.
Cleveland receive Thomas, Jae Crowder, Ante Zizic and Brooklyn's 2018 first-round pick while the Celtics receive Irving, a former No.1 overall pick, 4x All-Star and NBA champion.
It's a trade that creates history as it's the first time that two 25ppg scorers have ever swapped teams.
While the two superstars of the trade will be widely discussed, gaining Crowder, a super defensive player and adequate shooter along with Brooklyn's first-round pick (presumably top five) has the ability to hold the Cavs in a competitive position should LeBron James leave the franchise next summer.
In the meantime though, on paper, it's a big win for Boston.
They're a side who lost to LeBron's Cleveland in the Eastern Conference Finals last season and have added an All-Star small forward in Gordon Hayward along with Irving, LeBron's sidekick for the past three seasons.
They have upgraded (or remained neutral) in all positions of the floor and put themselves in a position to reach the NBA summit immediately.
The Vertical's Shams Charania was one of the first to break the news that the two franchise's were nearing a deal this morning.
Cleveland and Boston engaged in active trade discussions centered on Kyrie Irving and Isaiah Thomas, league sources tell The Vertical.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) August 22, 2017
Dwyane Wade, potentially the next big piece to join LeBron and the Cavaliers if reports are true, summed up the evening's events.
The NBA is fantastic! https://t.co/lUCMNl9R1T
— DWade (@DwyaneWade) August 22, 2017