Isaiah Thomas understands why the Celtics traded him in 2017. But the episode still brings back feelings of sorrow.
In an interview with NBA Insider Shams Charania, Thomas shared his warm feelings about Celtics fans, who supported him through three incredible seasons. “That love is just so genuine, and it happened so genuine,” he said. “It wasn’t forced, it was kind of like two people meeting, never seen each other a day in their life and they falling in love the first day. That’s how it truly felt.”
Thomas went on to talk about how he played through his sister’s sudden passing in the 2017 playoffs, and the love he felt in the T.D. Garden. Unfortunately, those warm feelings apparently didn’t translate to the executive suite. There, it was all business.
“How the trade went down, I was surprised about, which made me upset,” Thomas said. “Anybody in my situation, anybody that’s a human that got real feelings would have felt the same way.”
At the time, Thomas was playing the best basketball of his career, averaging 24.7 points per game during his three seasons with the Celtics. He says he thought his stellar on-court performance was going to provide him with security.
“I didn’t think where I was at the level I was playing that I would be caught off guard by such a big trade,” he said. That’s what hurt the most. I felt like I had a relationship with the people who make those decisions. I felt like we were close enough to where we could chop it up and you could talk to me about it, or about what possibly could happen. That never happened, so I was upset about that.”
Thomas’ basketball career has floundered since the Celtics traded him to the Cavaliers as part of the package to land Kyrie Irving. His wrecked hip, which he injured while going all-out for the Celtics in the 2017 postseason, prevented him from making an impact in Cleveland. The Cavaliers dealt Thomas to the Lakers at the 2018 trade deadline.
He bounced between the Nuggets and Wizards before his abbreviated stint last season with the Pelicans. This week, Thomas signed on with an NBA G League affiliate coached by Jason Terry.