In the most recent episode of Book of Isaiah II, Cleveland Cavaliers point guard Isaiah Thomas revealed the exact moment in which he learned of the trade that sent him to Northeast Ohio.
As most hoops fans know, Isaiah Thomas, now 28 years of age, was traded to the Cavs from the Boston Celtics in one of the biggest deals of the 2017 offseason.
Thomas says he learned of the trade by way of a phone call from Danny Ainge, who serves as general manager and president of basketball operations for the Celtics.
“When Danny called me, I missed his call,” Thomas explained during his documentary. “When I got back to Seattle, I missed his call. He texted me: ‘I.T., give me a call back.’ I called him back, then he asked me how I was doing. I was like, ‘I just got back to Seattle. I’m chillin’, headed home.’ And then he got a little quiet. And that’s when he broke it to me. He was like, ‘I.T., I just traded you.'”
Thomas was surprised by the trade, as were most Celtics fans.
“Danny’s like that,” Thomas continued. “But, I mean, I’m not trippin’. It’s just crazy that (the Celtics) would do that. Like, I’m not mad. I’d be mad if I went to a weak-ass team. It’s like, we’re gonna win the Finals anyway. That’s what’s crazy.”
“It’s like, damn, after all I do for…
“The city gonna be mad as f—,” Thomas said in his closing remarks, referring to Boston’s loyal fan base. “For him to call me — he didn’t tell nobody. I was cool in Boston. I knew my way around…”
Without question, Isaiah Thomas played an integral role in Boston’s success last season. In his 76 games played during the 2016-17 season, the former Washington Huskies stand-out turned in averages of 28.9 points (career-high) on 46 percent shooting from the field (38 percent from beyond the arc), 5.9 assists, and 2.7 rebounds — all while knocking down 91 percent of his free throws.
Though his stint in Boston came to an unexpected end, Thomas has been welcomed to the Cavaliers organization with open arms. He’s still recovering from the hip injury he sustained in last season’s Playoffs, it’s true. However, his rehabilitation process has went well thus far, and it sounds like the crafty ball-handler could be ready for on-court action soon.