Many Cleveland Cavaliers fans hoped that isaiah thomas would make a surprising return on Christmas, but it did not happen. The Cavaliers faced off against the Golden State Warriors in their first regular-season matchup this season, but they ended up getting another loss. Bad officiating and a few crucial mistakes cost the Cavaliers a lot, but their next game against Golden State is in less than three weeks and they will be ready for a rematch.

Thomas wasn't available for the Christmas game, but he will probably be back in January to face off against the Warriors. According to recent reports, the point guard is targeting the first week of January for his long-awaited return. However, the Cavaliers will also hold a practice for Thomas, which should help him get used to the team and play better when he finally comes back. This will be a big step for the Cavaliers guard, and it seems that we will see him return next week.

Thomas to practice with Cleveland

The Cavaliers dropped two straight road games, but their road trip has one more game left.

The reigning Eastern Conference champions will play against the Utah Jazz in Salt Lake City Saturday night. This will be their final game of the road trip, as well as the final game of this year.

According to Dave McMenamin of ESPN, the Cleveland Cavaliers will hold a rare away practice for Isaiah Thomas. The point guard will be able to practice with his teammates for the first time since joining the team in August. Earlier this month, Thomas was assigned to the Canton Charge, Cavaliers' G League affiliate, but he is ready to practice with his team now.

"It'll be a practice, get some shots up, cover defensive rules and principles and also scrimmage a little bit so Isaiah can get a feel and play 5-on-5," Cavaliers head coach Tyronn Lue said.

The practice will be held in California on Friday, and the team will then travel to Utah.

Thomas' return

Considering that Thomas will be able to participate in a full-court practice with his team, we can expect him to be back very soon. While it's unlikely that he will make his Cavs debut in Utah, it wouldn't be surprising if he does it in the first game of 2018.

The Cavaliers will start the new year at home as they will host the Portland Trail Blazers on January 2, 2018. Just one day later, the team will travel to Boston to play against Thomas' former team, the Celtics. There is a good chance that the guard makes his debut with the Cavaliers against Boston, which would definitely be the best-case scenario for NBA fans.