Isaiah Thomas recently sat down for an interview with ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski for the first time since the Boston Celtics traded him to the Cleveland Cavaliers - a deal which has still not yet been finalized.
Thomas went to Cleveland last Friday following the trade for a mandatory physical examination and his injured hip raised some questions, stalling the deal. The 28-year old All-Star point guard originally injured his hip back in March when Timberwolves big man Karl-Anthony Towns fell on him, but he kept playing through the pain until he finally couldn't any longer and missed the final three games of the Eastern Conference Finals.
Speaking with Adrian Wojnarowski, Isaiah Thomas made it clear that he's going to be back, and he's going to be the same player.
Per ESPN,
"I am not damaged," Thomas told ESPN on Tuesday. "I'll be back, and I'll be the same player."
"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," Thomas told ESPN. "Maybe I am not going to be back as soon this season as everyone wants me to be, 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."
"I haven't had one doctor tell me that this injury is going to hurt my career," Thomas said.
Isaiah told Woj that he has been in constant contact with the Cavaliers organization since his physical last Friday, and has been consulting with renowned hip specialist, Dr. Bryan Kelly, of the Hospital for Special Surgery in New York.
"He told me, 'I have seen hips worse than yours with guys who played at a high level and had great careers,'" Thomas told ESPN. "At the moment, yes, I am injured, but I have made progress from May."
Cleveland obviously wants to get Isaiah on the court this season as they attempt to make another championship run before both he and LeBron enter free agency next Summer. With rumors swirling that LeBron will leave the Cavs after the 2017-18 season, this could be their last chance to chase a ring for a long time.
The Cavs and Celtics have reportedly engaged in talks to find a resolution to the stalled trade, and Cleveland is seeking another one of Boston's first round draft picks as compensation.