While fans may have strong opinions about former Celtics point guard Isaiah Thomas, according a new report, 30 minutes before the trade deadline, the Celtics believed they would miss out on him altogether.
Thomas, the 5'9" point guard, undoubtedly altered the course of the Celtics franchise. Coming off a 2013-14 campaign in which the Celtics failed to qualify for the playoffs, Thomas was acquired from the Phoenix Suns in a February 19, 2015 trade.
Thomas's skill level and scoring ability were transcendent given his relatively small stature, and he powered the Celtics to playoff appearances in 2015 and 2016 that both ended with first-round eliminations.
Thomas provided the basis for a landmark 2017 trade in which the Celtics sent him, along with Jae Crowder, Ante Zizic, and multiple draft picks to the Cleveland Cavaliers in exchange for superstar Kyrie Irving.
Thomas' departure was abrupt, and after playing out the season on an injured hip, and in the wake of the tragic passing of his sister, sore feelings existed between Thomas and Danny Ainge after the trade.
As it turns out, the Celtics nearly missed out on Thomas completely.
According to Celtics assistant general manager Mike Zarren, the Celtics believed their trade for Thomas was dead 30 minutes before the trade deadline:
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“We’d been going back and forth with (Phoenix) for a while on Isaiah,” Zarren told The Athletic's Sam Amick. “It wasn’t a new discussion. Neither of those discussions were brand new, but both of them we thought were dead half an hour before the deadline.”
Ultimately the deal went through, and allowed the Celtics to chart a new course in pursuit of banner 18.
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