Isaiah Thomas Reportedly Targeting Mid-December Cavaliers Debut After Hip Injury

The Cleveland Cavaliers have been surging over the past two weeks, and they reportedly could receive a big boost in the near future.

Appearing on ESPN 850 WKNR in Cleveland on Tuesday, ESPN.com's Brian Windhorst said the Cavaliers "are shooting" for point guard Isaiah Thomas to return in mid-December.

Thomas, who has been sidelined with a right hip injury since the Boston Celtics traded him to the Cavaliers during the offseason, has been progressively ramping up his workouts. Windhorst said the next step for him will be participating in three-on-three drills at practice.

One of the most positive signs to date came Monday, when Slam documented Thomas as he went through a vigorous pregame shooting session prior to the Cavaliers' 113-91 win over the Philadelphia 76ers at the Wells Fargo Center:

"I'm protecting myself, so, even if they wanted me to hurry back, I'm not going to hurry back, just because I've got a long career ahead of me and an important summer as well," Thomas told Cleveland.com's Joe Vardon earlier in November. "So, I've got to make sure I'm 100 percent healthy before I step out on the floor. But these guys have not rushed me one bit. They've taken their time with me and I appreciate that."

When Thomas returns, he figures to supplant Jose Calderon in the starting lineup immediately. Calderon has been filling in for Derrick Rose, who stepped away from the team to contemplate his future in the league, per ESPN.com's Adrian Wojnarowski and Dave McMenamin.