Watch: IT wanted to return to Boston; was the feeling mutual?

Isaiah Thomas was interested in returning to the Boston Celtics, but was the feeling mutual?

I'm not asking if the fans would want him back, mind you, but the management - after the awkward exit, dealt to the Cleveland Cavaliers for Kyrie Irving, the circumstances were, shall we say, fraught - so how close did the Celtics come to bringing back the Little Guy?

Keep in mind, there's a lot of things to consider. IT hasn't demonstrated he has fully healed, his hip nagging at him much of last season, and slowing down his effectiveness as a marquee scorer. Thomas can still put up points, though, just not attacking the rim against the league's premier defenders.

There's also the roster construction to consider. Isaiah would undoubtedly have to accept not only a diminished role behind a healthy Kyrie, but also the fact that he's been leapfrogged by Terry Rozier and quite possibly Marcus Smart as well in terms of the value he can provide as a defense (and height)-challenged guard trying to rebuild his value.

In the end, it's probably best he ended up on the Denver Nuggets. He'll get plenty of minutes, is a clear second option, and could conceivably fight his way back to a starting role, if a short-term one - optimal for IT's personal goals, really, and a situation he'd be hard-pressed to find elsewhere in the league, and definitely not on the Cs.



Watch the videos above to hear the views of the folks over at ESPN and NESN on the fit of IT with both clubs.

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