It has been a wild offseason for the Cleveland Cavaliers. After being humbled by the Golden State Warriors this past June in the NBA Finals, the Wine and Gold have been on the search to construct a roster that can give them the best chance of competing with the plethora of talent in the Bay Area.
Their mission didn’t become any easier when their dynamic point guard Kyrie Irving requested a trade away from Northeast Ohio. It was a shock to the system as the league was sent into a frenzy with the news. Weeks went by as the Cavs’ front office took phone call after phone call, but the former world champions opted dealing with their Eastern Conference rival Boston Celtics, sending Irving to TD Garden in exchange for scoring machine Isaiah Thomas along with Jae Crowder, Ante Zizic, a 2020 second round pick, and an unprotected first round pick in the 2018 NBA Draft. It was a sweet deal, even for one of the Cavaliers’ favorite sons, but it was necessary as Irving reportedly didn’t want to return for training camp.
The move has now been officially completed, and as everyone is slowly getting their emotions back together about the situation, focus has turned to Thomas, and what he will bring to the Cavaliers. His hip injury is obviously a setback, but it might be a blessing in disguise for the Cavs, who will hopefully continue to play great basketball and then add another great talent to an already well functioning juggernaut.
As the trade unfolded, various stories have come out about what went down with Thomas. The newest Cavalier was just as shocked as everyone when learning about the deal, and took to The Players Tribune to share how he told his children. Their reaction was fantastic.
The boys had been staying at my mom’s while Kayla and I were away, and so as soon as we got home from the airport, we FaceTimed them. I knew the news was bound to leak sooner or later, and I wanted to make sure that they heard it from me. And so I told them what had happened: Dad got traded.
James, my oldest — I guess he really is his father’s son, because he asked the same first question I did. “To where?”
“Cleveland. They traded me for Kyrie.” And I’m pretty sure you know what came next.
“LEBRON! LEBRON JAMES! Dad — Dad. You get to play with LeBron James!”
It looks as though Isaiah Thomas’ kids understand the magnitude of playing with the best player in the world in LeBron James. James is widely known for bringing the best out of players, and Thomas will be no different. His old running partner Irving had the best years of his career alongside the King, and it’s a scary thought putting Thomas, who finished 5th in MVP voting last season, next to the kid from Akron. The pair have the potential to be truly great together, and it’s already something Thomas is looking forward to.
Perhaps the 5-foot-9 guard will understand something Kyrie Irving eventually failed to — the privilege of playing alongside James and competing for championships.
