The Cavs are lowering their asking price in renegotiated Kyrie Irving trade, per report.
Isaiah Thomas doesn’t think there’s any indication that his hip injury will be a long-term issue, though he did note that he may not be on the court “as soon as some hope,” in an interview with ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.
Questions surrounding the severity of Thomas’ hip injury have kept the Celtics and Cavaliers’ trade agreement to swap Kyrie Irving for Thomas, Jae Crowder, Ante Zizic, and a highly coveted Nets 2018 first-round draft pick on hold. The deal was agreed to on Aug. 22.
"I am not damaged,” Thomas said. "I'll be back, and I'll be the same player."
What was wrong with Thomas’ hip?
Thomas originally injured his hip in a March regular-season contest against the Minnesota Timberwolves. Thomas told Woj the injury happened when Karl Anthony-Towns fell on him. Thomas sat for two games following the injury, but was OK to play again until the conference semifinals against the Wizards. Playing through the pain, Thomas’ second time aggravating the injury proved too much, and he was forced to sit out for the remainder of the conference finals against the Cavs.
Could this injury hurt Thomas long-term?
Probably not. Thomas said doctors told him that way worse hip injuries have been overcome at the high school level and held up for lengthy careers. He told Woj, "There's never been an indication that I wouldn't be back, and there's never been an indication that this is something messing up my career."
Will Thomas be able to play at the beginning of the season?
It’s sounding unlikely. Celtics general manager Danny Ainge already addressed the likelihood that Thomas will have a delayed start to the season, and the point guard vaguely said the same thing.
"Maybe I am not going to be back as soon this season as everyone wants me to be,” Thomas told ESPN. “But I'm going to be back, and I'm going to be the same player again. No doctor has told me anything different than that."
So what are the Cavs going to do now?
Negotiate! Originally, Cleveland was thought to have been upping its asking price for another high pick or young player, but according to Wojnarowski, it may only take another late first-rounder or second-rounder to get an adjusted deal done.
That likely means Thomas is telling the truth and Cleveland’s medical staff believes he’ll return to full health this season.
