The Cleveland Cavaliers have introduced guard Isaiah Thomas, forward Jae Crowder and center Ante Zizic this afternoon. The trio was acquired in a trade last month that sent former Cavalier Kyrie Irving to the Boston Celtics.
Thomas’ injured hip raised red flags about the deal. General Manager Koby Altman lashed back at reporters who questioned Thomas’s medical condition.
“I don’t want this to be the ‘Isaiah Thomas hip press conference.’ And so, I’m just going to, with all due respect, shut down the hip questions. If we want to talk about Isaiah, let’s talk about Isaiah the all-star. Let’s talk about Isaiah, the guy that averaged 29-points-per-game last year. Let’s talk about him as a leader and what he’s going to bring to this franchise.”
Altman said later the team is pursuing a non-surgical plan to prepare Thomas for the season. Head coach Tyronn Lue acknowledged the team is not expected to begin the season with Thomas active.
Here's the full press conference:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3aEGUR5DoJ4
