Point guard isaiah thomas doesn’t think that the Boston Celtics improved by trading him, two other players and draft picks to the Cleveland Cavaliers for Kyrie Irving. In his article for the Players’ Tribune, Thomas finally opened up about the trade that sent him, Jae Crowder, Ante Zizic, the Brooklyn Nets’ 2018 unprotected first-round pick and a 2020 second-round pick to the Cavaliers for Irving.
Personally, Thomas believes the Celtics did not improve by making this trade but didn’t blame Boston general manager Danny Ainge for doing his job. “It's a tough job, and he's been really good at it.
But at the end of the day, these deals just come down to one thing: business,” said Thomas. The point guard said he has no hard feelings towards Ainge for making the trade, saying he’s a grown man and he’s aware of the business side of the NBA when he joined the league. “I'm not sitting here, writing this, because I feel I was wronged. I wasn't wronged. It was Boston's right to trade me,” Thomas insisted.
Thomas hurt by the deal
The 28-year-old Thomas, who is currently recovering from a hip injury, admitted that he was hurt by the deal because he has formed a special bond with the Celtics and the fans. Thomas said he put everything on the line for the Celtics, but all of it went down the drain as he was traded without any warning.
He also emphasized that players are helpless most of the time, with team owners having most of the power and control over them unless they become a free agent. Thomas said he was very disappointed that he will never be a Tom Brady, David Ortiz or Bill Russell, who won championships for the city.
Thomas looking for new agent
According to Chris Haynes of ESPN, Thomas is planning to leave his current agent – Excel Sports Management – and look for a new one before he becomes an unrestricted free agent in 2018.
Thomas is set to earn $6.2 million in the coming season, the last year of the four-year, $27 million contract that he signed with the Phoenix Suns in 2014. Before he was traded to the Cavaliers, Thomas was planning to ask the Celtics for a maximum contract, similar to what Kyle Lowry and Jrue Holiday signed with the Toronto Raptors and the New Orleans Pelicans, respectively.
Lowry inked a three-year, $100 million deal while the Pelicans gave Holiday a five-year contract worth $126 million. However, Thomas’ value is expected to drop due to the hip injury that he suffered late in the regular season that caused him to miss the last three games of the Eastern Conference Finals.
