CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Talking about the Kyrie Irving trade:

1. Several executives told me that Irving put the Cavaliers in an awful spot by making his trade demand after the draft. For example, if the Cavs had known sooner, they could have sent him to the Indiana Pacers for Paul George.

2. The Pacers offered George for Irving. Former general manager David Griffin turned it down with the goal of adding George to roster that included LeBron James and Irving. There were some reports Irving was upset about the Indiana trade rumor. Well, it was the Pacers who asked and the Cavs turned it down. The Athletic reported Friday of a three-way deal before the draft falling apart with Irving ending up in Phoenix, but I never heard that. So I don't know if it was serious.

3. When Griffin -- and eventual successor Koby Altman -- worked on a three-way deal to land George, it involved Kevin Love and the Denver Nuggets. The Cavs wanted to re-tool their roster with James and Irving as the core, becoming more athletic to compete with the Golden State Warriors.

4. George was eventually traded to the Oklahoma City Thunder for Victor Oladipo and Domantas Sabonis. It really wasn't much of a return for the Pacers.

5. The Cavs also were trying to trade with the Chicago Bulls for Jimmy Butler. Remember the report of a nameless Cavalier telling Butler not to come to Cleveland? Guess who was behind that? The Bulls eventually traded Butler to the Minnesota Timberwolves. Irving and Butler are close. Minnesota was one of the teams on Irving's trade destination wish list.

6. By the time Irving told the Cavs of his wish to leave, two obvious trade targets were off the market. The Phoenix Suns were not willing to part with Josh Jackson or some other good young players as part of a package with Eric Bledsoe. Boston ended up being the most likely landing spot.

7. James is heading into his 15th NBA season. For those of us who watched him at St. Vincent-St. Mary, that's hard to believe. He will be 33 on Dec. 30. At this point in his career, every season is precious. He wants to compete for a title every year, and that's why he makes no long-term commitments at this stage of his career.

8. Adding Isaiah Thomas and Jae Crowder from Boston does help the Cavs stay strong this season. Meanwhile, Boston knew it couldn't beat the Cavs with its current roster, even with the addition of free agent forward Gordon Hayward. That's why the Celtics dealt for Irving.

9. In talking to several NBA executives, most believe Irving had to be traded. If he doesn't want to play with James ... well ... that is a problem. James remains the greatest player in the world. The vast majority of NBA players want to be on the same team as James. It's a ticket to the NBA Finals.

10. Rookie GM Altman received praise for convincing Boston to trade the draft pick originally owned by Brooklyn. The Celtics were not willing to put that in offers they made for George and Butler. The Cavs now have two first-round picks in 2018 ... the Brooklyn pick and their own.

11. The Brooklyn pick is likely to be in the top five. Having two first-round picks allows them to trade one (probably their own) to improve the roster during the season.

12. Every executive I talked to loved Crowder. Tough defender. Unselfish. Has become a solid 3-point shooter. Can defend shooting guards, small forwards and some power forwards. He's a 39-percent shooter from 3-point range. Over and over, I heard this said of the 13-point scorer, "He's a winner."

13. Not much was said about the 6-foot-10 Ante Zizic, who played for former Cavs coach David Blatt in Turkey last season. The 20-year-old is more of a project. But a few executives like his long-range potential. That's why the Cavs asked for him.

14. Opinions are split on Thomas. Several executives quickly brought up his hip problem. No one seems to know the extent of the injury that knocked Thomas out of the last two games of the Eastern Conference Finals. But any injury that takes away some quickness from the 5-foot-9 guard is a concern.

15. The Cavs also are worried about the condition of his hip after he was in town for a physical. But do the Cavs void the trade based on the physical? What a mess that creates.

16. Thomas was upset about being traded. He helped the Celtics recruit free agent Gordon Hayward and other players. At this point, a return to Boston would be a miserable situation for Thomas. The same if Irving goes back to Cleveland.

17. The obvious answer is reworking the trade. Boston has a lot of draft picks and other young players. The Cavs can keep Thomas, but also demand some compensation for doing so and letting the trade work.

18. Boston may be wondering if the Cavs are using the iffy condition of Thomas simply to add something else to the deal. This will create some very interesting talks between the two teams.

19. Thomas is heading to free agency in the summer of 2018. He averaged 29 points with Boston last season as the primary scorer. That won't be the situation in Cleveland. How will he handle that? Some executives wondered. They describe Thomas as an "alpha dog," meaning it's his personality to lead the team. How will he blend with James, another strong-willed person?

20. Irving averaged 25 points a game last season, with more shots per game than James. Those who like Thomas don't see him needing to sacrifice much offense if he fits in. He could thrive not having so much pressure to score each game as was the case in Boston. "LeBron makes everyone better," said one executive.

21. The Cavs have Derrick Rose under contract. The point guard spent part of the summer training with James. The Cavs are very comfortable with the pairing of Thomas and Rose. Having both means not playing either big minutes. Both players are on the final year of their contracts, so they should be very motivated to have good seasons and show they are healthy.

22. Altman talked to James several times during the summer, letting him know what the team was considering. It was not to ask approval. In the NBA, it's very common for the front office to talk to their key players when big moves loom.

23. While it wasn't the motor behind the trade, the Cavs certainly liked the idea of the deal cutting about $30 million off the team's luxury tax bill.

24. The Cavs are still looking to trade Iman Shumpert, who has $10 million left on his contract. A deal with Houston fell apart, and then the Rockets traded for Chris Paul. That appeared to end all interest in Shumpert.

25. The Cavs have been trying to deal Shumpert for at least a year. Not much interest, and I doubt that will change. He'd probably have to be part of a bigger trade with other players.

26. I doubt many Boston fans burned Isaiah Thomas jerseys. Just like there were very few fans here who burned LeBron's jerseys when he left for Miami. But I agree with LeBron, who wondered why anyone would consider burning the jersey of Thomas? He was traded!!! He loves Boston!!!

27. Coach Tyronn Lue loves small lineups with James at power forward. Adding the defensive-minded Crowder fits with that strategy. Against some teams, the Cavs can play Kevin Love or Tristan Thompson at center. James and the 6-foot-6 Crowder can be the forwards. The Cavs are loaded with guards: J.R. Smith, Kyle Korver, Rose, Thomas, Shumpert and Kay Felder.

28. Cleveland.com's Joe Vardon, Irving agreed to waive his "trade kicker" to go to Boston. It would have paid him an extra $6 million.