Isaiah Thomas Hip Injury Reportedly More Than Just Torn Labrum

Cleveland Cavaliers guard Isaiah Thomas may be dealing with an injury more severe than simply a torn labrum, according to Jason Lloyd of The Athletic:

"One source with direct knowledge of Thomas' hip condition told The Athletic last week that he is dealing with more than just a tear. Some of those secondary issues in the hip he has played with for years now, such as a loss of cartilage and some arthritis, are complicating his healing process.

"'No one has any idea how quickly this will heal or if it even will heal at all,' the source said. 'It's hard to predict.'"

As Lloyd added, general manager Koby Altman refused to put a timetable on Thomas' return from his hip injury:

"What's clear now is Thomas won't be playing in games anytime soon. Four months later, he is still limited to just treatment and the weight room. That's it. The fact the Cavs won't even address the hip is, at best, unsettling. It's not like this happened a week or even a month ago. It's reasonable to expect a firmer timeline four months removed from the injury, yet the only thing we know for sure is that Thomas won't have surgery to repair his torn labrum. Anything else regarding the hip was off-limits Thursday."

Concerns over the injury caused the Cavaliers to delay the mega deal that sent Kyrie Irving to the Boston Celtics for a week, as Lloyd noted, and Thomas' status for the season is one of the biggest question marks surrounding the Cavaliers. 

While the Cavaliers also received Jae Crowder, Ante Zizic, Brooklyn's 2018 first-round pick and Miami's 2020 second-round pick, Thomas was the centerpiece of the deal. If he misses a huge chunk of the 2017-18 season, the Cavaliers will be without a truly dynamic player on the offensive end. 

Plus, there are major question marks surrounding the futures of LeBron James and Isaiah Thomas, as both will be free agents after the season. If Thomas misses most of the regular season and the team struggles with chemistry upon his return, it increases the likelihood that James will depart in free agency. 

That, in turn, could leave Thomas seeking greener pastures and the Cavaliers continuing a full rebuild. So plenty is at stake as it pertains to Thomas' hip, even as the Cavaliers refuse to provide any meaningful updates on its status.