The seismic trade that recently sent Kyrie Irving to the Boston Celtics in exchange for a group of players that included Isaiah Thomas could be in danger of going up in smoke, depending on what transpires over the next few days.
As per new information from Bleacher Report, the Cleveland Cavaliers plan on seeking "further compensation" from the Boston Celtics before finalizing the trade that would send Isaiah Thomas to the team that beat the green-clad Beantown boys in the Eastern Conference Finals of last year's playoffs. ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski has also reported that the Cavaliers were "weighing options" with regard to the completion of the blockbuster trade that would see Irving, the heir apparent to take the reins of the Cavaliers amid rumors that LeBron James will take his talents elsewhere after this coming season, jettisoned.
The additional compensation push is supposedly tied to Thomas' physical results that were delivered to Cleveland, specifically where his hip injury that he sustained during this spring's playoff run with Boston is concerned. Sources say that the Celtics' brass feel they've been extremely transparent when it comes to disclosing details of the Thomas injury and will reportedly resist any further trade demands that the Cavaliers will put on them. It's not clear exactly which players or other assets the Cavs would be seeking to add to the bargaining table before finalizing the Irving-Thomas trade.
The report states that the deadline for players to pass their respective physicals and fulfill related obligations for the trade is Thursday morning, however that deadline could potentially be extended if both sides agree to it being mutually beneficial. The Celtics may not want to give up more assets in return for Irving, but it's a scenario that may be unavoidable, with questions about the long-term viability to Thomas' health having floated to the top of the NBA's rumor mill in recent weeks. Ideally, he'd be the centerpiece to the Cavs offense moving forward, but if the physical results are too worrisome, then it makes sense that they'd want something else to sweeten the deal. Only time will tell how this trade plays out.