Isaiah Thomas Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Cavaliers Notes: Thomas, Rose, LeBron

December 29th, 2017 at 3:43pm CST by marksuleymanov

Isaiah Thomas‘ return could be just days away but if the Cavaliers point guard had his way, he would have played in his team’s Wednesday night tilt against the Kings. Joe Vardon of Cleveland.com tweets that Thomas tried to force the Cavaliers into playing versus Sacramento him but the team denied his request.

Thomas has been rehabbing from a hip injury and scheduled to participate in his first scrimmage with the team today. If all goes well, various reports have indicated that Thomas’ season debut could happen against the Trail Blazers on January 2. It is possible that Cleveland holds Thomas’ debut off a night further, meaning he could face his former team, the Celtics, on January 3 in Boston. However, head coach Tyronn Lue has said that Thomas will not play in back-to-back games when he returns. Therefore, Thomas may need to wait until February 11 — the next time Cleveland is set to visit Boston — to face his former team if he plays this Tuesday.

Check out other news from the Cavaliers organization below:

Thomas addressed the possibility of making his season debut in dramatic fashion against the Celtics in Boston. “It’s going to be a really special game for me,” Thomas said (via Dave McMenamin of ESPN). “It’s going to be emotional because I just gave my heart to that city and they showed genuine love back. … (But) that minute restriction, that would be tough to play in [Boston] on a minute restriction.”
In a wide-ranging interview with Marc J. Spears of The Undefeated, oft-injured Cavaliers point guard Derrick Rose addressed his sabbatical from the team, managing his long list of injuries and retirement. Rose, 29, said he never contemplated retiring after he took a leave from the team in late November and feels he can still be a productive NBA player.
LeBron James, who turns 33 tomorrow, is having another characteristically strong season but is he better now than he was five years ago? Victor Mather of The New York Times examines James’ numbers compared to other players in their 15th seasons and the four-time NBA Most Valuable Player stacks up well or better against almost every comparable player.

Cavaliers Notes: Thomas, Thompson, Green, James

December 29th, 2017 at 9:35am CST by Arthur Hill

The Cavaliers still aren’t sure when injured guard Isaiah Thomas will be ready for his season debut, writes Joe Vardon of Cleveland.com. Thomas will get his first chance to play alongside his Cavaliers teammates during the team’s practice today. He scrimmaged with the organization’s G League affiliate in Canton last week. Coach Tyronn Lue said the purpose of today’s workout is to “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.”

When the Cavs departed on their current three-game road trip, they were hoping to have Thomas ready at some point. But he was held out of games at Golden State and Sacramento, and his status for Saturday’s contest in Utah is uncertain. Lue originally told reporters that Thomas wouldn’t play against the Jazz, but later said “I don’t know” to follow-up questions about his availability.

Cleveland travels to Boston next Wednesday, which would be a dramatic setting for Thomas to return, but Vardon speculates that Tuesday’s home game against the Trail Blazers is more likely. The Cavs were wary about throwing Thomas into a high-profile game against the Warriors and would likely view the Celtics the same way. Another possible date is January 6, when Thomas has a new shoe coming out and Cleveland plays at Orlando.

There’s more today out of Cleveland:

Tristan Thompson is putting up the worst numbers of his career and may be a trade candidate before the February 8 deadline, Vardon writes in a separate piece. Thompson’s playing time has been cut to 17.7 minutes per game and he is averaging just 4.1 points and 4.8 rebounds. He has been on a minutes restriction since missing 20 games with a strained left calf muscle, and the team has been successful with Kevin Love as the starting center.
Free agent addition Jeff Green has taken on several roles since coming to Cleveland, notes Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com. Following the worst season of his career last year in Orlando, Green is happy in his new role with the Cavs. “I didn’t know what to expect. I didn’t have any expectation,” Green said. “When I talked to T. Lue — we didn’t know back then, didn’t know the personnel that was going to be all in the locker room. It was just, ‘Jeff come in and be Jeff.’ Last year was a rough year so it was, ‘Jeff come in and be the player I know you can be. Play hard and things will fall into place.’ And that’s what’s happened.”
LeBron James is putting up amazing numbers in his 15th NBA season, but the secrets to his longevity happened years ago, writes Dave McMenamin of ESPN.

Celtics Rumors: Thomas, All-Star Game, Irving, Schedule

December 28th, 2017 at 8:32pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Celtics GM Danny Ainge is baffled by Isaiah Thomas‘ recent criticism of the team’s former medical staff, he said in a weekly radio interview that was relayed by Ben Rohrbach of Yahoo Sports. Thomas called out the Celtics in an ESPN interview, saying he would have sat out last postseason if he knew he’d have a long-term recovery from his hip injury. Speaking on 98.5 FM The Sports Hub, Ainge said he was blindsided by the comment. “As you remember, he had a pretty special playoff run, including a 53-point game, but I really don’t remember what he’s referring to,” Ainge said. The Celtics did not retain their trainer and strength coach but Ainge declared it had nothing to do with their handling of Thomas’ injury.

In other news regarding the Celtics:

The team hasn’t hosted an All-Star Game since 1964 but owner Wyc Grousbeck is hoping to change that, Gary Washburn of the Boston Globe reports. The team has been reluctant to apply for hosting the annual event because of the way the league distributes tickets but Grousbeck is willing to accept its terms. “We can’t get all of our fans into the game, all of our season ticket-holders,” Grousbeck said. “We have a season ticket-holder wait list and relatively few of our season ticket-holders would be able to come to a game that we host. But nonetheless, we’re going to get a (application) package and see if we can work something out.” The earliest that could happen is 2022 because the league has already booked other venues prior to that year.
Coach Brad Stevens has managed Kyrie Irving‘s minutes and the star point guard is fine with that approach, according to A. Sherrod Blakely of NBCSports.com. Irving is averaging 32.2 MPG, compared to 35.1 MPG in his last season with the Cavaliers. “Whatever is needed, I’m willing to do for the team,” Irving told the assembled media. “And I know Brad will echo the same things, so I trust what he’s got going on.”
Fatigue is a factor in the Celtics’ inconsistent play of late, Chris Forsberg of ESPN notes. Boston has endured a front-loaded schedule in which it plays half of its games in 79 days, Forsberg points out. The Celtics will play their final 41 games over a 97-day stretch.

Central Notes: Thomas, Perkins, Mirotic, Portis

December 28th, 2017 at 9:35am CST by marksuleymanov

After a disappointing loss to the Kings on Wednesday, the Cavaliers cannot get Isaiah Thomas back from injury soon enough, USA TODAY Sports’ Sam Amick writes. Cleveland acquired Thomas in the offseason trade that sent Kyrie Irving to Boston but Thomas has not played this season due to a hip injury.

Despite rumblings that Thomas may play this week, Amick writes that his return will likely occur against the Trail Blazers on January 2 or the following night against the Celtics. Facing his former team in his first game back would be a dramatic story but it is also possible for Thomas to play against Portland and skip the next game as he eases into playing. The 28-year-old averaged an Eastern Conference-best 28.9 PPG last season and his Cavaliers teammates see his impending return as a positive.

“I think it’ll be good in a lot of ways,” Cavaliers guard Kyle Korver said USA TODAY Sports. “You know, sometimes when we get stagnant is when we start depending on ‘Bron too much to create everything, and he can do it, but it’s hard every night for an 82-game season. To have someone else who can share that load of handling the ball and making plays for guys, I think that’ll help us out.”

Check out other Central Division news and notes below:

Instead of retiring or accepting a coaching gig, Kendrick Perkins has willingly played for the Cavaliers’ G League affiliate, the Canton Charge. Perkins, 33, is a four-time NBA finalist with over $60MM in career earnings but he still feels he can help an NBA team, Scott Patsko of Cleveland.com writes. “I’ve been getting a lot of positive feedback,” Perkins, who is averaging 10.7 PPG and 8.4 RPG in Canton said. “I feel I’ve played well in the minutes I’ve played. I wanted to show that I can still put the ball in the basket. And that I can still just move and play with the speed, pick and roll. I just wanted to prove that I can actually compete.”
The Bulls have played like a completely different team since Nikola Mirotic‘s return from a facial injury he suffered at the literal hand of teammate Bobby Portis. Their preseason fight made headlines and strained their relationship but Mirotic acknowledged that Chicago’s 9-2 record since his return has been helped by both men being professional, per ESPN’s Nick Freidell. “I think it was huge,” Mirotic said to ESPN on Wednesday. “I think it was huge because people didn’t know how we were going to act because it was a tough moment obviously for all of us, especially for me. But I think [up to now] we’ve handled it well.”

Isaiah Thomas Speaks Out On Trade Questions, Injury

December 26th, 2017 at 12:35pm CST by Arthur Hill

In a pair of tweets this afternoon, Cavaliers guard Isaiah Thomas lashed out at reporters who continue to bring up his trade from the Celtics.

“Don’t get mad at me like im sitting here wanting to still talk about the trade,” he posted. “Get mad at the person interviewing me lol. Get mad at the questions not the REAL answers! These post were for the people who think I’m salty about the trade… Good morning to y’all too lol.”

The tweets come a day after ESPN aired an in-depth interview with Thomas in which he says he regrets playing for the Celtics in the playoffs on an injured hip. He aggravated the condition, forcing him out of the Eastern Conference finals and setting up a long rehab process that still isn’t fully complete.

“No matter what, I’ve always played through injuries,” Thomas said. “If I went back and could do it again, I would have sat out the playoffs because I would have been playing right now and I would have been 100% hopefully.”

Thomas adds that he wasn’t aware of the severity of the injury when he made the decision to continue playing.

“I do wish I had more information,” he said. “It was never, ‘This can be something that could possibly shut you down for a while.’ Because if that was the case, I definitely wouldn’t have played.”

Thomas, who may be medically cleared to return to action this week, also tweeted today that he doesn’t have any bitterness toward the Celtics for the way things turned out.

“I will always love Boston,” he wrote. “That city and organization gave me a opportunity to be a superstar and I took it.”

Isaiah Thomas Could Play This Week

December 25th, 2017 at 9:49am CST by Arthur Hill

Cavaliers fans who have been waiting for Isaiah Thomas won’t get their wish granted at Christmas, but it could happen soon, according to Dave McMenamin’s ESPN Now post.

Coach Tyronn Lue reported that Thomas felt “a little sore, but nothing serious” after participating in a full-court scrimmage Thursday with Cleveland’s G League affiliate, the Canton Charge. Thomas practiced with the Cavaliers Saturday, which Lue said involved “a lot of shooting drills live, full court,” then ran through plays with the coaching staff Sunday in a half-court setting with no defenders.

Thomas definitely won’t play in today’s showcase game with the Warriors, but he could be activated for Wednesday’s contest in Sacramento. Lue responded, “I’m not sure. Just got to see,” when asked about that possibility. Cleveland is starting a three-game road trip that concludes Saturday in Utah, and it appears likely that Thomas will play at some point.

Thomas’ wife posted a video on her Instagram account of him dunking at Sunday’s practice. He bounced the ball high off the floor before slamming it in.

One of the key pieces in the August trade that sent Kyrie Irving to Boston, Thomas will miss his 34th game today while recovering from a hip injury that he suffered last season and aggravated during the Eastern Conference finals. He is coming off a career-best year with the Celtics in which he averaged 28.9 points per game and finished fifth in the MVP voting.

NBA G League Assignments/Recalls: 12/21/17

December 21st, 2017 at 10:33pm CST by Austin Kent

Here are the G League moves from around the Association today:

The Bucks recalled D.J. Wilson from their G League affiliate, the team revealed on its official site. The forward has played sparingly with the big league squad this season, averaging just 3.6 minutes per game in 11 contests.
The Cavaliers assigned guard Isaiah Thomas and big man Ante Zizic to the club’s affiliate in Canton. We wrote about Thomas’ brief rehabilitation stint earlier today. Later in the day, ahead of Cleveland’s Thursday night tilt against the Bulls, the Cavs announced on Twitter that they had recalled both Thomas and Zizic.

Cavaliers Assign Isaiah Thomas To G League

December 21st, 2017 at 9:35am CST by Luke Adams

As expected, the Cavaliers have assigned Isaiah Thomas to their G League affiliate as part of his rehab process, according to Shams Charania of The Vertical (via Twitter). The club confirmed the move in a press release, noting that Ante Zizic has been assigned to the Canton Charge as well. Thomas is expected to scrimmage with the Charge before rejoining the Cavs, as we heard earlier this week.

While Thomas’ specific return date from his hip injury remains unclear, he’s getting close to making his Cleveland debut, suggesting on Wednesday that it could happen as early next week, writes Tom Withers of The Associated Press.

“I’m just trying to get as close as 100% as possible and to be out there to be special,” Thomas said. “Not just to be out there and be another body. However long that takes — it might be next week, it might be a week after that. We don’t know and we’re really not trying to put a date on it because it just depends on how my recovery is. I’m ramping up my workouts, but at the same time it’s how I feel the next day, and it’s getting lighter and lighter, which is a good sign.”

Thomas’ reference to next week or the week after lines up with what we’ve heard from various outlets lately. One recent report from Charania indicated that the injured Cavs point guard is eyeing a Cleveland homestand during the first week of January, while a separate report suggested that Thomas may be able to play before the end of the Cavs’ road trip at the end of December.

With Thomas close to getting back on the court, Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com examined yesterday how the Cavs’ lineup and rotation will be affected.

Central Notes: Kilpatrick, Parker, Thomas, Leuer

December 20th, 2017 at 2:09pm CST by Luke Adams

Prior to signing a two-way contract with the Bucks earlier this week, Sean Kilpatrick had never been under contract with Milwaukee, but his arrival still felt like something of a reunion, as Matt Velazquez of The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel writes. Kilpatrick played for the Bucks’ Summer League team in 2015, and developed relationships with players and coaches who are still in the organization.

“As soon as I walked in it was like, basically, ‘Welcome back.’ It feels like home here. All the guys are receptive towards me,” Kilpatrick said. “When my agent called me and gave me the options, I said, ‘There’s no way I can turn a situation like this down.’ … [The Bucks] didn’t hesitate to pull the trigger when it came to me, so I think with me being here, I think it’s something I didn’t want to pass up at all.”

After playing on a standard NBA contract in Brooklyn, Kilpatrick will begin his tenure with the Bucks as a two-way player. Still, we’ve already seen multiple players around the NBA this season parlay two-way contracts into full-fledged roster spots. A strong showing for the Bucks – and the Wisconsin Herd – could result in Kilpatrick following a similar path.

Here’s more from around the Central division:

Jabari Parker practiced on Tuesday with the Bucks‘ G League affiliate for the second straight day as he continues to work his way back from an ACL tear. According to Rich Rovito of The Associated Press, Parker said he’s “holding up really good” and suggested he can see the light at the end of the tunnel. The former second overall pick is still on track to return in February.
With Isaiah Thomas‘ 2017/18 debut getting close, Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com takes a look at how inserting Thomas into the lineup will impact the Cavaliers going forward, and how Thomas will have to adjust to his new team.
The recovery timetable for Pistons big man Jon Leuer continues to be pushed back, writes Rod Beard of The Detroit News. Leuer, who had a joint lubrication injection earlier this month to help heal his injured left ankle, had another setback recently, prompting the club to slow down his rehab process once again, according to head coach Stan Van Gundy.

Latest On Isaiah Thomas

December 20th, 2017 at 8:55am CST by Luke Adams

Isaiah Thomas is expected to participate in full-court, five-on-five practices in the coming days for the first time since he joined the Cavaliers in the summer, reports Dave McMenamin of ESPN. According to McMenamin, the Cavs are hoping to have Thomas scrimmage with their G League affiliate, the Canton Charge.

As McMenamin details, the Cavaliers currently have practices scheduled on Saturday and Sunday, in advance of their Christmas Day matchup against the Warriors on Monday. It sounds like Thomas will participate in those practices, but even before then, the team wants to have him scrimmage with the Charge. It’s not clear whether Thomas will head to Canton, or whether some G League players will come to the Cavs’ practice facility, McMenamin notes.

Regardless of the specifics, Thomas is clearly getting close to making his debut for the Cavs after rehabbing his hip injury for several months. A recent report indicated that the veteran point guard is eyeing an early-January return, while Sam Amico of AmicoHoops.net hears that the club has been targeting a three-game road trip later this month, which ends in Utah on December 30.

The Cavs haven’t confirmed an official timetable for Thomas, but it certainly seems like he has a good chance of getting back on the court within the next couple weeks. A team source tells McMenamin that that the final determination for Thomas’ return date will be a joint decision, with Thomas, the front office, and the medical staff all involved.

When Thomas does get on the court, he figures to be eased into action, and it will be interesting to see how his return affects other Cavs players. Jose Calderon looks like the most likely candidate to have his role reduced, but the club has played terrific ball with Calderon in the starting lineup. Getting a playmaker like Thomas in their lineup may ultimately allow the Cavs to dial back LeBron James‘ workload to some extent — James is currently averaging 37.3 MPG, second-most in the NBA.