Column: Celtics need to play hardball with Cavs on Kyrie Irving deal

The Cavs and Celtics could be looking at a standoff in the coming days, as Cleveland is reportedly demanding additional compensation in the trade for Kyrie Irving on top of Boston's original package of Isaiah Thomas, Jae Crowder, Ante Zizic and the 2018 Brooklyn first round pick. Adrian Wojnarowski reported on the nature of those demands for ESPN.com on Saturday evening.

The Celtics and Cavaliers are both in a tough spot, and each side can make a reasonable case for its stance. Bostonsportsjournal.com can confirm the teams exchanged medical information before the deal was finalized. However, there is a reason the NBA requires teams to perform a physical before a deal becomes official. The Cavs’ doctors may have missed something in the initial exchange of notes on Thomas, and they obviously have the right to scrutinize his condition upon getting a closer look in person (which happened Friday). Thursday is the deadline for the original deal to be vetoed, based on the results of the physical.

With that said, it’s evident that the Celtics did not try to pull one over on the Cavs. They were upfront with the possibility that Thomas may have to miss time this year from the get go. Danny Ainge admitted as much in his conference call with the media on Tuesday night after the trade was announced.

Thomas’s injury is probably a major reason why the Celtics were willing to include the 2018 unprotected Brooklyn first round pick in negotiations to get the deal done in the first place. Adding in an asset with that kind of potential upside could be considered, in effect, the extra compensation required to help offset the risk involved for the Cavs with health questions surrounding Thomas.

I believe it’s time for Ainge to play some hardball here if the Cavs are threatening to walk away from the deal without some kind of renegotiation. Should the Celtics say, "Take it or leave it," to the original deal? Not entirely. If the Celtics hold the line and settle on a minor change after negotiations with Cleveland (i.e. a second round pick), that's acceptable. Adjusting the current package to that degree wouldn’t be enough of a shift to force Ainge to walk away from the deal. A trade this big isn't worth pulling the plug on because of a measly second round pick.   

If the Cavs ask for more than a second round pick though, Ainge needs to stand his ground. The Celtics are already paying full sticker price or more for Irving, depending on whom you talk to around the NBA. A comparison to recent star returns around the league (Jimmy Butler, Paul George, DeMarcus Cousins) make the Celtics' package look like the best of the bunch, even with the hip injury risk attached to Thomas. Adding to that pile of assets in a deal with one’s conference rival is a dangerous risk.

Irving is a sensational player, and he’s in his prime. However, he doesn’t come without his own set of risks. He’s not a clear cut top-5 or top-10 player in the NBA, and the Celtics have plenty of options moving forward without him in the fold.

Would things be easy for the Celtics if the trade doesn’t go through? Absolutely not. Relationships would have to be mended with Thomas and Crowder. The team would still have to contend with health woes Thomas will be dealing with this season and perhaps beyond. Plus, there would be a lot of unsold Celtics Irving jerseys that would be left in storage boxes everywhere.

The Cavs know these realities, but the Celtics can’t let the Cavs front office squeeze more out of them because of it. Cleveland has an excuse to ask for more (the Thomas injury) and can take advantage of the fact that Boston has elected to publicly move on from a couple core pieces of the roster. However, the Celtics’ brass needs to look at the recent trade landscape around the NBA and put that same pressure back on Cleveland.

Will Cleveland be able to find an Irving deal with the kind of assets Boston is offering elsewhere? The answer was no before Tuesday, and it’s unlikely that has changed in the last few days. Not doing the deal with Cleveland also holds its own set of advantages for Boston (not risking strengthening a rival, which could lead to Irving and LeBron James leaving Cleveland by the end of next season).

The entire situation is a messy one, but the Celtics need to draw a line in the sand here to help ensure the Cavs don’t become the clear winner in this deal.