Here is the bottom line: The Cleveland Cavaliers have until Thursday to void their Kyrie Irving trade with the Boston Celtics, saying Isaiah Thomas did not pass his physical.
But here is the competing truth: They don’t want to do that. They want that Brooklyn Nets pick that was part of the deal, and they’d like to keep Thomas and Jae Crowder.
The Cavaliers have concerns that Thomas could miss a chunk of time as he recovers from a hip injury, and they are going to talk to Boston on Saturday, reports Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN.Joe Varden added this from the Cavs’ perspective over at the Cleveland Plain Dealer.
Two sources with knowledge of the Cavs’ thinking said the team is conducting a “very deep and thorough review process” on Thomas, whom Cleveland acquired Tuesday in a blockbuster trade along with Jae Crowder, Ante Zizic, and the Brooklyn No. 1 pick for Irving....
Cleveland could go back to the Celtics and ask for more in return for Irving. Boston could risk losing Irving -- whom the Celtics covet as a four-time All-Star who’s 25 with a championship under his belt -- and suddenly have a problem at point guard because of Thomas’ hip troubles.
But the Celtics could also decide the Cavs were bluffing, and can’t bring themselves to part with the Brooklyn pick or even Crowder, a 27-year-old wing defender who helps them against the Warriors and has a team-friendly contract.Most likely the Cavs will try to get a second round pick out of Boston added to the deal. The Celtics may not be willing to give that up and the Cavs would have a decision to make. They really want that pick. If the Cavs can get Thomas back even midseason and have his production for the postseason, is that enough? The Cavs want to make another run at a ring and this deal helps them come a little closer to the Warriors now, and gets them a key pick going forward. Not sure they will walk away from that, but everything seems to be up in the air.