The Cleveland Cavaliers were put into a rough spot when superstar point guard Kyrie Irving asked them to trade him because he didn't want to play alongside LeBron James anymore. However, it looked like the Cavaliers were able to make a deal that would help them compete in 2017 when they traded Irving for isaiah thomas, among other pieces.
However, WEEI reported that there is a chance that the entire trade could go bad for the Cleveland Cavaliers. With the chance LeBron James could leave at the end of the season, there is now a chance that Isaiah Thomas might not play at all this year and then become a free agent himself.
Report: 'Slight chance' Isaiah Thomas misses most of season https://t.co/CT230DUYdJ pic.twitter.com/t9qOm3S5CP
— WEEI (@WEEI) August 30, 2017
Isaiah Thomas injury concerns
When the Cleveland Cavaliers pulled off the Kyrie Irving for Isaiah Thomas trade, they knew that Thomas was injured. They also knew that he wanted a contract extension and that was not something the Boston Celtics could make at the time. If LeBron James is leaving, Thomas could be the franchise puzzle piece for the team.
However, the Cavaliers needed Isaiah to play this season if they wanted a chance at making it to the NBA Finals for the fourth consecutive season. According to Thomas, he believes that he is "not damaged" and that he will be back at top form very soon.
That might not be true.
According to WEEI, there is a chance that the injury is worse than originally thought. The Isaiah Thomas injury is hip-related and there is now a "slight chance," according to ESPN's Zach Lowe, that he will miss almost the entire 2017-18 NBA season. If this happens, the Cleveland Cavaliers are in a lot of trouble.
Cavaliers 2017-18 chances
The Cleveland Cavaliers have a chance to actually be better this season than they were last year when they lost to the Golden State Warriors in the NBA Finals. Kyrie Irving is an NBA superstar but there is no denying that the Cavs were worse when LeBron James was off the court and Irving took the lead last year.
However, when the Boston Celtics won the Eastern Conference in the regular NBA season, posting a better record than the Cavs, it was because Isaiah Thomas had one of the best seasons of anyone in the NBA last year not named Russell Westbrook or James Harden. That is not to say that Isaiah is a better all-around basketball player than Kyrie but it does mean that he can win games when he is on the court - even without someone like LeBron James.
The Cleveland Cavaliers just need to make sure that he is back sooner rather than later - although a healthy Isaiah Thomas in the NBA Finals could make for an exciting series.
