Cavs Guard Isaiah Thomas Could ‘Miss Most Of The 2017-18 Season’

The Boston Celtics and Cleveland Cavaliers have yet to officially finalize their blockbuster trade involving Isaiah Thomas and Kyrie Irving. The trade could come to fruition on Wednesday, but there could be some bad news for the Cavs regarding Thomas’ status for the upcoming NBA season.

According to ESPN’s Zach Lowe, Thomas could very well miss the majority of the 2017-18 campaign.

If recovery from various hip ailments, including a bone bruise, does not proceed smoothly, there is at least a slight chance Thomas would miss most of the 2017-18 season, sources say.

With LeBron James potentially considering to leave the team in NBA free agency next summer, losing Thomas for most of the upcoming season obviously isn’t ideal for Cleveland. The Cavs are expected to be the team to beat when the trade goes through, but if Thomas isn’t available for months, it could prove costly for Cleveland’s chances.

The addition of Irving to an already upgraded Celtics roster that includes Gordon Hayward and Al Horford could be enough to propel the team passed the Cavs during the 2017-18 season. Thomas’ health will be crucial to Cleveland’s success with LeBron becoming more of a one-man show with only Kevin Love and an injury prone Derrick Rose to lean on.

If Thomas is expected to miss considerable time next season, it could have implications on LeBron’s status with the team long-term. James is already rumored to be seriously considering leaving Cleveland, and this could put him over the edge is the Cavs fail to compete in the Eastern Conference.