Jason Terry: 'Brink's Truck Will Come Out' for Isaiah Thomas Cavaliers Contract
Longtime NBA guard Jason Terry said he's confident Cleveland Cavaliers point guard Isaiah Thomas is healthy amid questions about the new Cavs star's hip following a trade from the Boston Celtics, and predicted his play during the 2017-18 season will yield a lucrative new contract.
On Friday, TMZ Sports passed along comments from Terry, a free agent who's close friends with the two-time All-Star selection who headed to Cleveland as part of the blockbuster Kyrie Irving trade.
"The Brink's truck will come out," he said about Thomas' next contract negotiation.
Thomas has used the same reference multiple times when talking about his next deal during his time with the Celtics.
In July 2016, A. Sherrod Blakely of CSN New England noted the University of Washington was already starting to line up his shot at free agency amid a rising salary cap.
"They better bring out the Brink's truck," Thomas said. "They're paying everybody else. I gotta get something.”
He added: "I'm trying not to worry about it. It's out there. I'm just being myself and play and hopefully that takes care of everything else."
Then, this past July, he rehashed the same line of thinking during a CSNNE interview, saying: "My time is coming, they know they've got to bring the Brink's truck."
Chris Forsberg of ESPN highlighted the fact Thomas even has sandals that stick with the theme:
Thomas is set to count just under $6.3 million under the salary cap for the 2017-18 season after his trade to the Cavaliers, per Spotrac. That's a massive bargain for an emerging star who ranked seventh in Player Efficiency Rating last season, even when factoring in his defensive deficiencies.
So yes, the Brink's truck will be making a stop to the Thomas residence next summer at the latest, but whether the contract comes from Cleveland likely depends on the future of LeBron James, who can also become an unrestricted free agent after next season.
