Since being traded to the Cleveland Cavs from the Boston Celtics, Isaiah Thomas has primarily voiced excitement about the new opportunity in front of him in his next chapter of his career.
However, it is also evident that there was some level disdain about being moved by the Celtics despite him stating that the NBA is a business first. The Cavs practice facility always has a new quote of the day on a board for players to take in, and Wednesday’s quote hit particularly close to home for Thomas. The 5-foot-9 guard took a photo of the quote, circling the end which discussed loyalty.
Prior to being traded, Thomas has continually voiced a strong desire to remain with the Celtics long-term given what he helped develop in his brief tenure with the team along with the high level of comfort he had with the organization. All of this only made it a little more difficult for him to process that he had been moved by Boston because he thought he had established a strong bond with the franchise.
He had just come off his most productive individual season that saw him average a career-high 28.9 points while earning his second All-Star Game selection and first All-NBA Second Team nod. On top of that, Thomas had helped lead the Celtics to their first Eastern Conference Finals in five years.
There is certainly some harsh emotions left with Thomas, but it’s something that he may use as extra motivation this upcoming season with the Cavaliers. He has an opportunity to be a critical piece to the puzzle of a potential championship-caliber team in his first year with Cleveland.