Traded Nets draft pick not looking like gold anymore

When the trade for Kyrie Irving went down, my biggest worry was the loss of the Brooklyn Nets' 2018 draft pick to the Cleveland Cavaliers. I viewed at as solid gold and the means to adding another star to the Celtics team. I don't worry so much anymore. Here are some thoughts of SBNation's Ricky O'Donnell shortly after the trade:

Everything about this trade is fascinating, but the inclusion of the Nets pick adds another layer of intrigue, particularly because it went from being untouchable to gone in a matter of minutes.

How valuable is that pick? Could the Cavs be walking away with Marvin Bagley III, Michael Porter Jr., or one of the other top prospects in the 2018 NBA Draft?

It all boils down to one question Cavaliers fans now must ask themselves: just how bad will the Nets be this season?

Well, frankly the Nets are not that bad. They are currently the 11th worst team, record-wise, in the NBA. That makes the former Celtics pick much less valuable. As it sits right now, the Cleveland Cavaliers are not in line to pick up a DeAndre Ayton or Marvin Bagley III. And with the acquisition of Jahlil Okafor and the expected return of D'Angelo Russell, Brooklyn may improve and the draft pick could lose more potential value. A late-lottery selection may be the result.

So the Cleveland Cavaliers might have picked up what looked like gold, but has turned into silver or even bronze. Things could change as the season progresses, but right now it looks like another major coup for Danny Ainge.

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Photo via Christopher Evans/Boston Herald