Tony Jones on the NBA: Isaiah Thomas’ injury shows Kawhi Leonard isn’t wrong to sit

Isaiah Thomas certainly has his warts.

As a small guard, he always has been and always will be a liability defensively. He hasn’t always been a model locker room presence, as his quick exit out of Cleveland highlights. There’s certainly a reason he was traded from Phoenix to Boston, Boston to Cleveland and Cleveland to Los Angeles.

And he’s not quite as good as he thinks he is. He’s really good offensively. Dynamic even. But when he told reporters he expected someone to back up the Brinks truck for him in free agency this summer, that was a misstep. Max contract players don’t have to proclaim themselves max contract players. Teams know what you are.

But I feel sorry for Thomas, even with his imperfections. And Thomas has every right to be bitter.

He had surgery on his hip this week, which according to reports brings with it a four-month recovery. It’s a hip injury that Thomas probably should have repaired surgically at this time last year.

But that would have meant no playoff for Thomas, who was enjoying an MVP-level season with the Celtics at the time. It would have hamstrung Boston and probably ended the Celtics’ season well short of the Eastern Conference finals.

But Thomas put his organization over his health. He played on the hip, which became progressively worse to the point he couldn’t play once the Cleveland series rolled around.

Guess what? Danny Ainge didn’t hesitate to ship Thomas out of town when he had a chance to acquire Kyrie Irving. Thomas never meshed with LeBron James, and now Thomas’ career is in flux. He hasn’t been nearly the same player that he was last season. He likely will have to take a one-year deal on the unrestricted free agent market this summer to rehabilitate his value. It’s fair to question whether Thomas ever will be the same player.

This isn’t meant to disparage Ainge and the Celtics. They clearly did the right thing. If you’re Ainge and you have a chance to trade for Irving, one of the most dynamic offensive players, you do it.

Basketball is a business, a cruel business, and Thomas’ plight accentuates the fact. That’s why I have no problem with Kawhi Leonard putting his body above the needs of the San Antonio Spurs. And it’s why I have no issue with a premier free agent using his leverage.

Leonard, one of the best players in the game, has missed practically the entire season while dealing with a quadriceps issue. The Spurs think he should be playing by now, and Leonard won’t return until he’s cleared by his own doctors.

The impasse has gotten uncomfortable. The Spurs, renowned for being the most tight-lipped organization in the league, suddenly have become a leaky media faucet. They’ve held a team meeting, imploring him to return.

Whether Leonard comes back this season is anyone’s guess. If he does, the Spurs become a dangerous team to the top seeds in the Western Conference. He is one of the best players in the league.

But if he doesn’t, he’s well within his rights. Leonard clearly has learned from Thomas’ plight. And for an NBA player, his body is his business. The career of an NBA player is short. There are only so many contracts, only so many prime seasons.

So prime health equates to a prime performance. Loyalty is supposed to go both ways, and unfortunately it doesn’t in the business of basketball. If Leonard came back and aggravated his injury, his future would be in peril. Not as much as Thomas’, because Leonard is a better player and was a driving force behind a title run for the Spurs.

But Leonard is looking out for his health, and that’s the right choice for him. And players who have the kind of power and security to do what Leonard is doing should do the same under similar circumstance.