After several days of posturing and deliberations, the Cleveland Cavaliers and Boston Celtics agreed to finalize one of the biggest trade deals of the 2017 NBA offseason. The Cavs, defenders of the Eastern Conference crown, sent All-Star point guard Kyrie Irving to Boston. The Celtics, who played their way to a No. 1 seed in last season’s playoffs, sent quite a few assets to the Cavs including point guard Isaiah Thomas (also an All Star), forward Jae Crowder, center Ante Zizic, the Brooklyn Nets’ unprotected first round pick in next year’s draft, and the Miami Heat’s second round pick in 2020.
Believe it or not, Thomas, now 28 years of age, leaves the Celtics as their all-time leader in points per game (24.7). Just let that sink in for a moment. Think about all of the great players who have worn the Boston green uniform over the years, including Larry Bird (24.3), Paul Pierce (21.8), and John Havlicek (20.8).
In his 76 games played for the Celtics during their 2016-17 campaign, Thomas averaged a career-high 28.9 points on 46 percent shooting from the field (career-high), 5.9 assists, 2.7 rebounds, and just under one steal (.9) in 33.8 minutes per contest. The crafty ball-handler also posted a career-high mark from the free-throw line last season (91 percent).
Will Thomas be able to produce at the same level for the Cavs? Well, that remains to be seen. There are some concerns about his hip (labrum), which could force him to miss a portion of the upcoming season. However, the former Washington Husky standout seems devoted to a speedy recovery.
