One of the few blockbuster trades this summer was undoubtedly the deal that swapped two All-Star caliber point guards in the Eastern Conference in Isaiah Thomas and Kyrie Irving. After weeks of uneasiness, Irving was finally traded to the Boston Celtics for a package centered around Isaiah Thomas and the Brooklyn Nets’ first round pick in the 2018 draft.
Though Irving may finally have his own team, this trade marks the end of a memorable era for Thomas who played the best days of his career in a Celtic uniform. The dynamic 5’9 point guard terrorized defenses, specifically last year as he averaged nearly 29 points per game and was a bonafide MVP candidate.
Thomas recently spoke to All-Time great Detroit Piston Isiah Thomas and the recent deal is one of the topics the two discussed. According to Joe Vardon of Cleveland.com, the Hall of Famer said that Thomas was taken by surprise and ‘hurt’ by Boston trading him away:
All of that is according to Hall of Fame point guard Isiah Thomas, who said on the MMA Hour in Las Vegas Friday that he spoke to the Cavs’ Thomas and described him as “emotionally…wounded” by the trade…
“Both will do well. But it really was like a punch in the gut because it came out of nowhere. Kyrie was expecting a trade, he was prepared for it. And talking to Isaiah the other night, now he’s scrambling, trying to find out where his kids are going to go to school, trying to find a place to live. And it was just so unexpected for him.”
“He said he gave his heart and soul to the Celtics,” Isiah Thomas said. “He gave them everything. It’s a business and we all understand that it’s a business, but to have it happen in such a way for him. I think it really hurt him. I think it’s going to be difficult for him to trust again, to give that trust, that loyalty, that love to another organization.
“And I definitely think the Cavs are going to have to do some relationship mending to get him back to the point where he loves being where he’s at. Because he’s a small guy and the thing that gets him over is his love and his passion. And if those things are kind of missing a little bit, it’s going to be hard.”
Obviously, it’s important for a player to be right mentally as well as physically so Cleveland will need to make sure they get Isaiah Thomas in the right mindset before the season starts. That along with making sure his nagging hip isn’t a long term issue will be key to making a seamless fit in Cleveland.
Even though Thomas had found a home in Boston, hopefully, the guard finds a way to put his past behind him and focuses solely on working in tandem with LeBron James on the Cavs’ championship quest.
