Cleveland Cavaliers Are Hopeful for Isaiah Thomas to Be Ready to Play in January
Though the Cleveland Cavaliers will not be able to enjoy the services of Isaiah Thomas on opening night, their wait may not be that very long.
According to ESPN, team officials said on Monday that the star point guard is expected to return to action by January. The news came after the 28-year-old Thomas was reportedly making significant strides in his road to recovery from a hip injury.
"Isaiah Thomas has successfully continued with the rehabilitation process related to his right hip impingement," read a statement from the Cavs organization. "Based on his progress thus far, and after several weeks of evaluation and monitoring with the Cavaliers medical team and Cleveland Clinic Sports Health, the team and Thomas are hopeful he will be in position to return by January," the statement continued.
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The team also said that Thomas' "status will be updated" and "timeline adjustments" will be made once the regular season kicks off.
Thomas, for his part, was full of optimism. "Physically, I'm in a good place. I'm making progress each and every day, I'm getting stronger," said the two-time all-star.
Thomas was acquired by the Cleveland from the Boston Celtics in a blockbuster deal over the summer. The deal saw Thomas, together with Jae Crowder, Ante Zizic, and a 2018 first round draft pick from the Brooklyn Nets, move to the Cavs. In return, the Celtics received all-star point guard Kyrie Irving.
Everything was deemed to be smooth-sailing for Thomas and his new team until a post-trade physical examination revealed that he is still bothered by his old hip injury. In turn, the discovery led the Celtics to add a 2020 second-round draft pick to seal the deal.
Meanwhile, the Cavs' backcourt received another boost with the acquisition of three-time champion Dwyane Wade. The 35-year-old former Finals MVP severed his ties with the Chicago Bulls after the latter agreed to buy out his contract.
Wade, together with Thomas, will join former league MVPs Derrick Rose and LeBron James as they attempt to challenge the defending champion Golden State Warriors. Rose will start for the team, according to a report from NBA.com.
The NBA 2017–2018 regular season tips off on Oct. 17, with the Cavs and the Celtics scheduled in an early collision.
