It’s been more than a week since the original Kyrie Irving for Isaiah Thomas trade went down, but it’s still not an official transaction. Much of that is because of the injury Thomas suffered in the postseason while the Boston Celtics were playing the Cleveland Cavaliers in the Eastern Conference Finals.
Thomas’ hip injury all but ended Boston’s chances against the Cavs, and as it turns out it may end the trade between the two rivals. It’s created a fascinating drama between the two teams that will likely compete for the right to reach the NBA Finals against next spring: how do you fairly swap assets that will inevitably be used against you in the playoffs?
Cleveland, for its part, is trying to get more from Boston because their prized return, Thomas, might be more severely injured than they originally thought.
As ESPN’s Zach Lowe notes, the severity of Isaiah Thomas’ injury is something the various parties involved still can’t agree on. In fact, his recovery from injury still seems fairly uncertain.
If recovery from various hip ailments, including a bone bruise, does not proceed smoothly, there is at least a slight chance Thomas would miss most of the 2017-18 season, sources say.
That’s a sentiment that Thomas himself disagrees with, of course, and he said as much earlier in the week. But Lowe notes that if that’s the case and the Celtics won’t give Cleveland more assets in the trade, it’s very likely they void that deal. And that means a severely-injured Thomas misses most of the season for Boston, who is suddenly without a point guard.
That is the risk for Boston if this deal is voided, the source of whatever leverage the Cavs have in spite of their broken relationship with Irving: If Thomas can’t go, who is playing point guard for a Boston team that wants to win 55 games next season? Boston is confident it can get by with more playmaking from Gordon Hayward and Al Horford, and better point guard defense from Terry Rozier and Marcus Smart. But the offense would take a hit on some nights.
The biggest piece of the current deal is certainly Brooklyn’s unprotected pick in next year’s draft, which helps Cleveland begin to potentially replace LeBron James if he decides to leave in free agency again. But the fact of the matter is that both teams need a point guard, and it’s likely Thomas can’t play for either team for a good while.
As much as Cleveland wants to move forward and form a plan for a post-James life, they still have to compete this season.
