My Thoughts On Isaiah Thomas Going To The Lakers

Current NBA player Isaiah Thomas just can't find a way to stay with one team. His first team was the Sacramento Kings, then the Phoenix Suns, then the Boston Celtics, whom he found success with before being traded to Cleveland just this past offseason, and now he's been dealt again.

The Isaiah Thomas-Cavs relationship is officially over after Thomas was traded to the Lakers in a deal along with Channing Frye that saw both Jordan Clarkson and Larry Nance Jr. head East to Cleveland.

While this deal may come as a surprise to many, there were lingering questions surrounding Thomas's health and whether or not his size will really matter much on any NBA team. At this point, Thomas might just become a guy any team can pick up and put right into their rotation. I know he doesn't believe that, but ever since that Boston playoff run last year, it seems like Thomas is not the same old self.

This trade obviously was all about the Cavaliers, since LeBron James had been making enough noise for GM Koby Altman to go out there and try to get some players to help James get back to the NBA Finals. So far, the results have either been mixed or is still questionable.

But here's the thing about Isaiah Thomas: He's going to have to realize that he's not the player that everyone expected him to be, and GM Danny Ainge of the Celtics understood this more than most. He looked at this injury he had over the summer and said to himself, 'I don't believe he can be the same player for us the way he was in the playoffs.' Now, while I understand Thomas's anger over this issue, let's understand that Danny Ainge is probably one of the smartest GMs in sports, much like GM George McPhee of the Vegas Golden Knights, so he understands who is going to be an impact player and who may be at the end of the road or who is injured and may not be the same player. Ainge understood that, he understood that Thomas was not going to be his old self again and shipped him off for a talented guy and one who can be a leader and a difference-maker on that team. Oh, and by the way, Irving is very young and still very talented.

I hope Isaiah Thomas can find some measure of success with the Los Angeles Lakers, but they are much farther behind than the Celtics and Cavaliers were with him. This will probably take years, and by then, Isaiah Thomas may want out of Los Angeles. Who knows? But right now, I think Isaiah Thomas may have to realize that his impact on an NBA team will not be the same as what it was with the Celtics all those years with them. It's unfortunate and I wish him well with the Lakers, but injuries can take down a player and in the case of Isaiah Thomas, that may be where it's heading.