Rumor: Isaiah Thomas Injury Had LeBron James Unimpressed with Kyrie Irving Trade

Cleveland Cavaliers superstar LeBron James was reportedly not a proponent of the offseason trade that sent Kyrie Irving to the Boston Celtics for Isaiah Thomas and other pieces.

According to ESPN.com's Dave McMenamin and Brian Windhorst, James was skeptical of the deal because of Thomas' hip injury, and he felt the Cavs should've used leverage for even greater compensation after they knew the severity of IT's ailment.       

Cleveland ended up getting a 2020 second-round draft pick in addition to Thomas, Jae Crowder, Ante Zizic and the Brooklyn Nets' 2018 first-round selection.

Perhaps James' concern was born from his knowledge of Jonny Flynn, who has the same agent as the four-time NBA MVP.

The Minnesota Timberwolves selected Flynn at No. 6 overall in the 2009 draft after his standout collegiate career at Syracuse, but hip issues limited him to just three NBA campaigns.

Thomas missed a large chunk of the 2017-18 season, and upon returning in January, he struggled to regain his All-Star form.

In 15 games, Thomas averaged just 14.7 points and 4.5 assists, and he shot a disappointing 36.1 percent from the field.

On the Feb. 8 trade deadline, Cleveland dealt Thomas to the Los Angeles Lakers along with Channing Frye and a first-round pick for Jordan Clarkson and Larry Nance Jr.

IT has experienced a slight uptick in play with L.A., as he is averaging 15.5 points and 5.4 assists per game while shooting 39.2 percent over 11 contests.

Meanwhile, the Cavaliers are 7-5 since shaking up their roster.

They are third in the Eastern Conference with a record of 38-27, and they hold only a half-game lead over the Indiana Pacers and a one-game advantage over the Washington Wizards.

With Irving at the helm, the Celtics are second in the East at 46-20.