The Cleveland Cavaliers and the Boston Celtics put the exclamation mark on one of the most eventful NBA offseasons in recent history. Headlining the deal was the exchange in point guards Kyrie Irving and Isaiah Thomas.
Despite both sides seemingly being all in on the trade, the status of Thomas’ hip injury raised questions for the Cavs. So much so, small forward LeBron James and head coach Tyronn Lue even ‘cooled’ on finalizing the deal, according to Kevin O’Connor of The Ringer:
“One league source with an understanding of Cleveland’s situation told me that as news spread throughout the organization that Thomas could miss time deep into the upcoming season, James and Lue cooled on the deal. According to the same source, both the Cavs’ franchise player and their head coach were apparently told by upper management that Thomas and Crowder were being brought in to help the team compete with the Warriors now.”
Both sides have since agreed to a trade that would also include a second-round pick in 2020 on top of the existing deal. Meanwhile, Thomas has insisted that a return to his regular self will be of no concern.
It is a bit strange to see two teams that are likely to meet in the Eastern Conference finals for a second straight year work out a deal. It seems only time will tell before the true winners of this trade is revealed.