Report: Cavs Seeking Additional Compensation From Celtics Over Isaiah Thomas’s Hip
The Cleveland Cavaliers are seeking additional trade compensation from the Boston Celtics after examining the condition of Isaiah Thomas’s injured hip, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.
The Cavs are weighing options on what to do about the Kyrie Irving trade after Thomas underwent a physical. According to the report, the Celtics and Cavs were set to discuss these issues via a telephone call scheduled for Saturday. The Cavaliers could potentially veto the deal if the original agreement is not adjusted.
Thomas was traded along with Jae Crowder, Ante Zizic and the Brooklyn Nets’ unprotected 2018 first-round pick on Tuesday in exchange for Irving, a four-time All-Star.
Could Isaiah Thomas's Hip Injury Derail the Cavs-Celtics Trade?
Thomas missed three games in the Eastern Conference finals due to a torn labrum in his hip. Celtics general manager Danny Ainge said Thomas's hip had “some role” in the decision to trade him and suggested that he might miss some time at the beginning of the season. He will be a free agent next summer and is a critical piece of the Cavs’ plans for next season, making his health and ability to contribute paramount to competing the trade.
Per the NBA Collective Bargaining Agreement, if a player fails a physical, a trade can be voided. The most recent occurrence of a trade being voided due to a failed physical was in 2016, leading to the cancelation of a trade sending DonatasMotiejunas from the Rockets to the Pistons.
Irving requested a trade out of Cleveland and has reportedly expressed no desire to return next season. As such, the potential voiding of the deal has large ramifications for both teams and the players involved if neither side can agree on an amendment. The Celtics could potentially include future draft considerations to the current structure.
