Isaiah Thomas was the centerpiece of a package coming to Cleveland, when the Cavaliers traded a disgruntled Kyrie Irving to the Boston Celtics. The expectation was that I.T. would form a 'big three' with Kevin Love and LeBron James, and help the Cavs maintain their Eastern Conference supremacy.
But Thomas' tenure in Cleveland was a very brief and forgetful one. He didn't play his first game with the Cavs until Jan. 2, as a hip injury sidelined I.T. for much of the season. But then Thomas reportedly pointed the finger at Love and blamed him for the team's struggles during a meeting.
Not long after, Thomas, Channing Frye and a first-round pick were dealt to the Los Angeles Lakers in exchange for Larry Nance Jr. and Jordan Clarkson. The Cavaliers have gone just 7-5 since the trade.
To make matters worse in The Land, a report from ESPN's Brian Windhorst and Dave McMenamin suggets that LeBron wasn't pleased about the Thomas trade:
"And there was a fourth factor that poisoned the pool for Thomas in Cleveland before he even dipped his toes into the water: James was against the trade that sent Kyrie Irving to the Boston Celtics to bring Thomas there in the first place.
As he showed last year, James had respect for Thomas and his battle back from a hip injury. But James was skeptical from the start. The injury itself was worrisome."
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Irving is having an MVP-caliber season in Boston, averaging 24.7 points and 5.2 assists per game. As for Thomas, he only averaged 14.7 points and 4.5 assists per game in 15 games with the Cavaliers.
Considering that Jae Crowder also disappointed in Cleveland and was traded to the Utah Jazz, it's safe to say this is a very one-sided deal in Boston's favor. Thomas is set to become a free agent this summer, but he's also struggling with 15.5 points per game - 3.4 below his career average.
The Cavaliers are under pressure to show LeBron - who can opt out of his contract this summer - that they can retain their status as a championship contender. Otherwise, there's a strong chance that James leaves his hometown team a second time.