Cleveland Cavaliers: Does Isaiah Thomas want out of Cleveland?

It is no secret, the Isaiah Thomas comeback tour is not off to a good start.

Prior to Tuesday’s game against the Detroit Pistons, another underwhelming performance by the undersized point guard, Isaiah Thomas was averaging 15.6 points while shooting 38.6 percent from the field and a lowly 27.3 percent from beyond the arc. In addition to putting up lackluster numbers, Thomas seems to have found himself in the middle of the latest controversy surrounding the Cleveland Cavaliers.

It was reported last week, by ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, that the Cavaliers had an “air-it-out” team meeting prior to facing the San Antonio Spurs.

In years past, the reporter (simply known as “Woj”) has been unable to get close to the Cavaliers locker room.

Thomas, who is known to have communicated with Woj in the past, seems to be the source for the meeting leaking to the media.

During this reported team meeting, Thomas supposedly led the charge in pointing the finger at Kevin Love.

Of all players to go after, Thomas made a huge mistake going after Love.

In his time here, Love has done little wrong and been asked to change his game multiple times. Love is a true team player and for Thomas to go after him shortly after his return seems unnecessary.

Then, last Friday against the Indiana Pacers, Love appeared to hand the ball to Thomas in a child-like manner.

Yet, according to Thomas, there is no “beef” between the two.

Thomas seems to be unhappy with not being the focal point of the team, like he was in Boston. Thomas is defensive when answering media questions and just does not appear to be happy.

All this leads to my theory. Isaiah Thomas may be trying to get himself traded.

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At first glance, it may be a bit of a shock to read. No, it is not a crazy fan theory.

It is reading into everything Thomas has said and done since returning earlier this month.

First, Thomas, who has been heavily criticized for his poor defense over the years, tried to make it clear that he is not the reason for the Cavaliers poor defensive performances.

Via Dave McMenamin

“We’ve been a lowest five [rated] defensive team in the NBA the whole time [this season],” Thomas said after practice Saturday. “So when I come back, it’s my fault now. Which, life isn’t fair, but that’s not fair, bro. At all. I just laugh at those things because I know in this circle and this team, everybody believes in each other, and everybody’s in here for it to work and for us to be playing in June. That’s the ultimate goal.”

Thomas did the best he could to squash the negative rumors at a recent media session. However, he appeared tense and confrontational when addressing the situation.

Ever since coming from Boston, Thomas just has not been himself. He appears to be more interested in securing a max contract in the offseason than trying to help Cleveland win. His shot selection is head-scratching and he has yet to find chemistry with LeBron or Love.

His antics give off the vibe that he is unhappy with his current situation. After all, Isaiah seems to bring up his past seasons in Boston far too often. He is acting like an ex who just can’t get over being dumped for a younger, more talented point guard in Kyrie Irving.

Thomas is not going to come out and say he wants to be traded, that would be unprofessional. Still, the writing appears to be on the wall.

Thomas wants to be “the guy” and re-create the magic of last season.

I’m all for I.T. trying his hardest to play well but not if it is going to negatively affect Cleveland’s chemistry by chucking up shot after shot.

Will Thomas be traded before the February 8th deadline? It is hard to say (I wouldn’t bet on it) but nothing is out of the question, especially if Thomas keeps up his current tense, high maintenance act.

In the latest development of this story, Cavaliers owner Dan Gilbert appears to have taken a liking to Thomas. The two reportedly communicate often, which would not sit well with LeBron James, given his history with Gilbert.

Thus, creating an even larger rift between James and the front office.

What a strong Thomas/Gilbert working relationship means is that Thomas will likely not be going anywhere, even if he wants out.  It is quite possible that Gilbert is hoping LeBron leaves this summer, which would open the door for Thomas to stick around to be the face of the Cavaliers.

While it appears Thomas’ spot is safe on the Cavaliers, I still wouldn’t rule out Cleveland shopping Thomas around.  Especially with the pressure to win a championship higher than it has been in quite some time.

In the end, Thomas still would like to be the face of a team. However, he must soon realize that if he wants to achieve more than just personal success, he will need to do what LeBron once told Love.

Stop trying to find a way to fit out and just fit in. Be a part of something special!

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After all, the dream scenario many thought of prior to Thomas returning does not appear to be happening. In fact, just the opposite is happening.

If something does not change in the Cavaliers locker room soon, the dream of winning another championship will be just that, a dream.