Isaiah Thomas’ desired return to Boston was not meant to be
By Cody Rivera
The timing didn’t work out, but Isaiah Thomas called Danny Ainge about a returning to the Celtics a year after being traded.
Just a little over a year ago, the world’s biggest little man was the heart and soul of the Boston Celtics. Behind the 5-foot-9 Isaiah Thomas, who was reeling from the tragic death of his little sister Chyna, the Celtics blew past the Chicago Bulls in the first round of the 2017 playoffs and outlasted the Washington Wizards in a seven-game semifinals, before losing to LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers in the Eastern Conference Finals.
On his sister’s 23rd birthday, Thomas recorded a historic 53-point playoff performance at the TD Garden. He was officially beloved in the city of Boston.
But his hip issues became his undoing, and he was traded to Cleveland for superstar point guard Kyrie Irving. Getting dealt from Boston was heartbreaking for Thomas, and thanks to his injured hip, he didn’t even last a full season in Cleveland before getting traded again to the Los Angeles Lakers.
A few weeks ago, Thomas signed with the Denver Nuggets for the league minimum.
It was a tumultuous year for Thomas, and he even though last summer he said he would never talk to Celtics GM Danny Ainge again after what he did, his feelings have since changed. He would’ve loved a reunion with the Celtics.
“S—, I would’ve gone back,” Thomas said, according to an article by ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski. “I don’t hold grudges.”
Thomas made a call to Ainge and said, “If the opportunity is there, I would just like to let you know that I’d love to come back.”
If you’re a sentimental Celtics fan, it could almost bring a few tears to your eyes. But it wasn’t meant to be. Ainge told Thomas that before he could look into it, he would have to finish working on free agent negotiations with Marcus Smart. The Celtics wound up re-signing Smart to a four-year deal worth $52 million.
By that time, Thomas had already signed his deal with Denver.
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It’s hard not to feel bad for Thomas, as he went from superstar status with the Celtics, averaging 29 points per game for a team that went to the Eastern Conference Finals, to signing for the league minimum just one year later. And the fact that he was willing to swallow his pride and come back to the team that jumpstarted this downward spiral for him, most likely just coming off the bench and playing very few minutes, just makes it even more sad.
But that’s the reality of professional sports. They can be incredibly cruel to even the most likable people.