Isiah Thomas doesn’t have an official position with the Phoenix Suns, but Chris Paul believes the Hall of Fame point guard had something to do with him being traded to the Washington Wizards.
ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reported Sunday that Phoenix was finalizing a trade with Washington to acquire Bradley Beal, Jordan Goodwin, and Isaiah Todd. The Wizards are set to receive Paul, Landry Shamet, multiple second-round picks, and first-round pick swaps.
Paul discussed the impending move with Sopan Deb of the New York Times and said multiple times that Suns governor Mat Ishbia and his close friend, Thomas, “wanted to go in a different direction.”
“It’s just—it’s tough,” Paul said. “Seriously, it is part of the business, and what you realize is that no one owes you anything. No matter how you are with them or what you do, you realize that in this business, nobody owes you anything, as it should be.
“But when it comes through and my son texts me, I realize that, you know, Mat and Isiah, I guess, just wanted to go in a different direction.”
If what Paul is saying is true, then it presents a ton of problems as it has now sparked concerns for a number of media members and NBA fans.
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Thomas is best known for his playing days on the Detroit Pistons, but he does have other experience as the head coach of the Indiana Pacers and New York Knicks for a combined five seasons and in the front offices of the Knicks and Toronto Raptors.
He was also spotted sitting courtside next to Ishbia during the NBA playoffs.
While what Paul i saying has yet to be proven, it should be noted Ishbia told Duane Rankin of the Arizona Republic in February that Thomas was not involved in the team’s front office.
As for Paul, he likely will never play a game for the Wizards. Bleacher Report’s Chris Haynes reported Washington is “likely to reroute” the veteran in a deal and could end up moving him to the Los Angeles Clippers.
