Revisiting The Trade That Sent Isaiah Thomas From Phoenix To Boston

Heading into the trade deadline in February of 2015, the Boston Celtics and Phoenix Suns were on opposite sides of the spectrum as the two teams eclipsed the halfway point in the NBA season.

Boston was an inexperienced bunch in search of an identity and someone to brandish a resemblance of a leadership role on the squad. Phoenix had established themselves as a contender for a postseason spot in the Western Conference, featuring a trio of guards with a knack for scoring the basketball in Brandon Knight, Eric Bledsoe, and Isaiah Thomas, a minuscule 5’9″ scorer then in his fourth season.

At the time, the Celtics were just 20-31 on the year, boasting an underwhelming winning percentage of .392, while the Suns showcased a winning record of 29-25, good for a stellar .537 winning percentage.

Since then, however, a multitude of injuries, coaching changes, and most importantly, roster changes, none larger than the Suns’ dealing of Thomas to Boston on an 11th-hour deadline deal, have completely altered the appearance and the future of these two franchises. It flipped one out of a rebuilding mode and into contention and having the polar opposite effect on the other.

Averaging just 15.2 points and 3.7 assists per game with Phoenix off of the bench in 46 appearances in 2014-15, Thomas’ arrival in Boston in exchange for shooting guard Marcus Thornton and the rights to the Cleveland Cavaliers first-round selection this June signaled minimal fanfare among the average Celtics fans. Many had been crossing their fingers for the acquisition of a superstar such as Kevin Love.

While he had displayed his scoring prowess throughout his tenure in Phoenix, and with the Sacramento Kings, in the three seasons prior, Thomas was viewed as someone with very little value elsewhere in addition to his lack of a reliable three-point shot.

Mar 20, 2016; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Boston Celtics guard Isaiah Thomas (4) moves toward the net during the third quarter of the game against thePhiladelphia 76ers at the Wells Fargo Center. The Celtics won the game 120-105. Mandatory Credit: John Geliebter-USA TODAY Sports /

Most of the Boston faithful simply expected him to assume the role of a sixth man in the Celtics rotation, which he welcomed admirably in the final 21 games of last season, revolutionizing the offense of head coach Brad Stevens. He posted 19.0 points and 5.4 assists in just 26.0 minutes per contest while leading his troops to a 20-11 finish and their first postseason appearance since the Big Three era.

However, nobody could have predicted the surge that Thomas has experienced in 2015-16, as he has catapulted himself into MVP contention while stating the claim that he is, without a doubt, the pound-for-pound most valuable player in the league. In 69 starts (72 outings total) so far this season, the Tacoma, Washington product has upped his per game averages to 22.2 points, 6.4 assists, 3.0 rebounds, and 1.2 blocks in 32.5 minutes, while earning his first career nod to the All-Star team.

Thomas’ did not allow the honor to fuel any complacency, as he has played at an astronomically high level throughout the month of March, rescuing the Celtics from a daunting skid in which they dropped four consecutive games in the midst of the chase for the third-seed in the Eastern Conference. In 11 games this month, Thomas has put up 26.2 points per contest, while elevating his shooting percentages to 48 percent from the field and an astounding 42 percent from three.

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In comparison to eventual-MVP Stephen Curry of the Golden State Warriors, Thomas’ field goal percentage this month rests 0.5 percent higher than the sharpshooter’s, while his PER of 27.3 is just a stone’s throw away from Curry’s 27.9. Furthermore, Thomas’ points per game average in March is just 1.4 points below that of the defending MVP. This is most likely direct result of the discrepancy in shots taken per contest as Curry has shot 20.7 times per game and Thomas has taken 17.7 shots per outing.

Still not convinced that general manager Danny Ainge triumphed over Suns GM Ryan McDonough in this swap?

Consider that since the trade, the winning percentages of the two franchises have swung in pendulum-style fashion, with Boston compiling a record of 62-41 (.602) and Phoenix has fared a horrific 30-69 (.303).

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Thornton averaged just 3.6 points in nine appearances off of the bench for the Suns, falling out of the rotation because of a nagging Achilles’ tendon injury. He then left Phoenix in free agency, while the first-rounder is expected to be just the 28th selection in this June’s draft based on the Cavaliers 51-21 mark.

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