Though Isaiah Thomas has been part of his fair share of transactions in the NBA, his trade from the Boston Celtics to the Cleveland Cavaliers cut deeper than any previous deal and for obvious reasons. When he was traded from Sacramento and Phoenix, Thomas was merely a secondary scoring option with a certain complimentary role. However, things were different in Boston.
The 5’9″ Thomas was the lifeline of last year’s Celtics team, a gritty squad that clawed its way all the way to the Eastern Conference Finals. During last season and over his two and a half year stint with Boston, Thomas turned in inspiring performance after another. Right when Thomas thought he had found his NBA niche as the leader of a bonafide Eastern Conference contender, he was reminded that basketball is a business yet again when he was dealt to Cleveland.
Now with the aftermath of the trade wrapping up, Thomas still has a few things he wants to get off his chest, specifically regarding Celtics president Danny Ainge. In a recent interview with Sports Illustrated’s Lee Jenkins, Thomas says he has nothing but love for Boston, with one minor exception.
“I might not ever talk to Danny again. That might not happen. I’ll talk to everybody else. But what he did, knowing everything I went through, you don’t do that, bro. That’s not right. I’m not saying eff you. But every team in this situation comes out a year or two later and says, ‘We made a mistake.’ That’s what they’ll say, too.”
After wearing his heart on his sleeve with the Celtics, it’s not wrong for Isaiah Thomas to feel the way he does, especially about Ainge. Even with the Cavs getting themselves a franchise player in Kyrie Irving, they will sorely miss the toughness factor IT brought to the table night in and night out.
Though Thomas is expected to be sidelined with a nagging hip injury, he should be ready to go and provide a major scoring punch once the postseason rolls around. Last year with Boston, Thomas posted superstar-caliber numbers of 28.9 points per game and a shade under 6 assists while shooting at a 46.3% clip from the field and 38% from three-point range.
