Did the Suns help keep LeBron away from L.A.?

Like the butterfly effect (the idea that a butterfly flapping it’s wings on one continent could cause a chain of reactions leading to a hurricane on a separate continent), in sports a move or non-move leads to subsequent series of reactions that may otherwise have never occurred.

Certainly the trade of Kyrie Irving was inevitable, so whether or not the Suns were the team involved in his acquisition is entirely inconsequential. But the Suns merely flapping their wings and refusing to fly in the Western Conference this offseason, may have caused a chain reaction that could lead to LeBron remaining in Cleveland, staying entirely away from the Los Angeles Lakers.

Had the Suns traded Josh Jackson with Eric Bledsoe and a future first, the Cavs would have received a ready-now point guard and a potential star rookie small forward that would have kept Cleveland competitive this season. Whether or not Bledsoe was a part of the long-term future would be up to debate, but Jackson and a future first round pick would have certainly helped to facilitate a rebuild should LeBron have decided to leave.

However, with this Boston trade, the Cavaliers not only get a star-quality (and honestly, generally equal point guard to Kyrie) in Isaiah Thomas, but more importantly they receive young players Jae Crowder and Ante Zizic, as well as the crown jewel of possible trade pieces: Brooklyn’s 2018 first round pick.

With this trade, not only does Cleveland at least stay relatively the same competitively this season, but with Crowder and the potential first overall pick, the Cavs can use those pieces to make another move for a star this coming offseason, potentially stealing victory (keeping LeBron longterm), from the jaws of defeat (his seemingly inevitable departure for the Lakers).

With the extremely high grade of talent expected to be available in the draft next offseason, recently noted to possibly be comparable in talent to the 1984 NBA Draft, should the Brooklyn pick be top-three (and let’s be honest with ourselves here, the NBA will give the Cavaliers the number one overall pick), Cleveland will have more offers for that pick than they will be able to keep organized, centered around teams with stars who have read the tea leaves and know that taking the long and winding path of rebuild right now is the only way to eventually find Championship success.

Now don’t get me wrong, Josh Jackson certainly could be a very good player and might be great very soon, but for NBA General Manager’s, the bust factor must weigh heavily on their minds if used next offseason as trade bait for an already established star. If Josh Jackson begins his pro career slowly, then his trade value is immediately diminished. However with a draft pick, especially one in the top-three, the bust value is minimized and the potential value of stardom is greatly increased.

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If the Cavs can parcel together a package that includes the Brooklyn pick (and in all honesty, they would be crazy to not try and do that by the trade deadline since winning a title this season could more fully sell LeBron on staying), then they could compile a roster with a re-signed LeBron, Kevin Love, and third star, and should they wish, re-sign Isaiah Thomas, keeping themselves at the top of the Eastern Conference for a minimum of the next three years, let alone now becoming a legitimate threat to the Warriors in the West.

None of this would have been as likely had the Suns acquired Kyrie Irving for the package that had be most prominently proposed, which ultimately could have led to LeBron James in a Los Angeles Lakers uniform.