Isaiah Thomas’ trade to Celtics is the ninth-best player to be dealt at deadline, per HoopsHype
When it comes to trade season, the ever-elusive season-changing trade is in truth more of a historical rarity than a regular occurrence. That reality can be best illustrated by a study of the best players moved at the trade deadline in the history of the NBA by Hoops Hype’s Frank Urbina.
The assessment notes the rarity of true impact players being moved midseason given the salary cap and CBA-related roadblocks. It highlights the 15 best players dealt close to the deadline, and only one ended up with the Boston Celtics.
For Urbina, that sole Celtic is Isaiah Thomas, who came in ninth on his list.
“In what was the steal of the 2014-15 trade deadline and perhaps one of the bigger trade-deadline heists in league history, the Boston Celtics picked up Isaiah Thomas from the Phoenix Suns in exchange for Marcus Thornton and a 2016 first-round pick.”
Jayen Brown turns to Celtics great Bill Russell when the balance of basketball and advocacy gets tough https://t.co/kDmeqv07YM
— The Celtics Wire (@TheCelticsWire) February 2, 2023
“Thomas would make the All-Star Game twice during his time with Boston and enjoyed nearly MVP-level play for a stretch there,” he adds. “Thomas would average 28.9 points and 5.9 assists with the Celtics in 2016-17, and only saw his play decline due to injury.”
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