A timeline of Isaiah Thomas going from max money to minimum money

You’d be hard pressed to find anything not named bitcoin that has risen and fallen as dramatically as Isaiah Thomas’ career since 2011. First Mr. Irrelevant, then an unwanted scoring guard, a legitimate MVP candidate, Lonzo Ball’s backup, and now signing the veteran’s minimum in 2018 with the Denver Nuggets on a one-year deal. It’s certainly sad, and there’s no doubt Thomas deserved better, but also a brutal example of how the league works. No one is ever safe.

Thomas went from a Boston superstar to being traded for a younger version of himself, and then from Cleveland’s salvation to an unwanted, ineffective problem-causer that the team couldn’t wait to rid themselves of. It was a series of events that all-but killed Thomas’ value across the league and forced him to settle for the one-year deal. It’s almost painful to revisit, but there’s a clear order in how it went down.

Starting from Thomas’ arrival in Boston, through his recent trade to Los Angeles, and now in Denver, here’s how Thomas rose all the way to MVP candidate and then tumbled back down.

Feb. 19, 2015: Thomas is traded to Boston

Thomas had been the last pick in the 2011 NBA Draft, thrived for the Sacramento Kings anyway, was dealt by them after three seasons, came off the bench for the Phoenix Suns in a failed three-guard lineup experiment, and ultimately was traded for scraps at the deadline. All that led him to the Celtics, where he submitted two excellent seasons before reaching yet another level one year later.

April 12, 2017: IT completes MVP-worthy season

Thomas finished fifth in MVP voting after averaging nearly 29 points per game on incredible efficiency. It was a career year at age 27 thanks to Boston finding the perfect role for Thomas to thrive.

May 20, 2017: Thomas ruled out with hip injury

Earlier in the postseason, Thomas had played one day after his sister’s tragic death and then again through dental surgery. He finally succumbs to a hip injury during Boston’s series against the Cleveland Cavaliers, which the Celtics lost in five games. This hip injury ends up being much more serious than anyone realized in the moment.

June 20, 2017: Celtics trade top overall pick

The consensus best prospect headed into the 2017 NBA Draft was Markelle Fultz, a point guard who theoretically could have replaced Thomas. Instead of selecting him, Boston traded down two spots to nab Jayson Tatum. There were many reasons for it, but at the time, it’s seen as a vote of confidence for Thomas as the team’s signal caller.

July 9, 2017: “Bring the Brinks trucks out”

When Thomas is asked about his upcoming 2018 free agency, he declares himself a max contract player and says in an interview that the Celtics “know they’ve got to bring the Brinks truck out” to re-sign him.

Aug. 22, 2017: Boston trades for Kyrie Irving

Included in the deal: Jae Crowder, Brooklyn’s 2018 first-round pick, and ... Thomas.

Aug. 26, 2017: Cavs “mull over” Thomas’ physical

This is the first indication we get about how serious Thomas’ hip injury was. It eventually is reported that there’s no way this news could invalidate the deal, and that Cleveland’s just trying to squeeze more assets from Boston. It’s revealed that Thomas likely won’t return until December or January. There are serious questions about whether he can be the same player after that, too.

Oct. 11, 2017: “I might not ever talk to Danny again”

In a Lee Jenkins feature, Thomas reveals just how mad he is at Boston’s general manager Danny Ainge because of the trade.

Dec. 20, 2017: The Player’s Tribune video

Amazing footage of Thomas reacting live to his trade to Cleveland surfaces thanks to The Player’s Tribune, which had been filming a series on him when Thomas learned of the news. It’s surreal to watch Thomas react to it in live time.

Jan. 2, 2018: IT makes Cavaliers debut

Thomas returns for a home game in Cleveland, rather than a Jan. 3 road game in Boston. He requests that the Celtics don’t play him a video tribute before that game since he won’t be suited up. That later sparks controversy because Cleveland’s only other game against Boston is on Feb. 11, which was also Paul Pierce’s jersey retirement. Pierce doesn’t want to share the event, and Thomas eventually tweets about not needing a tribute at all. What a dumb controversy that was, and it ultimately doesn’t even matter.

Jan. 23, 2018: Thomas and Kevin Love get tense

There’s reportedly a team meeting on this day that goes poorly and devolved into name-calling from all sides. Thomas apparently accused Love of faking an illness that was the reason for him missing most of a game and the following day’s practice. Later that week, Love hands Thomas a rebound in a completely patronizing way, which is both incredible and the sign that this team has issues to work through. Or, fail to work through, as it turns out.

Feb. 7, 2018: LeBron celebrates without Thomas

LeBron James nailed a game-winning shot to down the Minnesota Timberwolves in overtime. A celebratory James kind of, sort of ignores Thomas on the ensuing celebration, though maybe it’s just because, well, Thomas is short.

After the game, Thomas also talked about how he was “tired of being traded.” Whoops.

Feb. 8, 2018: Thomas is traded to the Lakers

Thomas is sent to Los Angeles in a flurry of Cleveland front office activity.

On live television, ESPN’s Ramona Shelburne reports that the Lakers plan to bring Thomas off the bench, behind rookie Lonzo Ball, while Rachel Nichols cites Thomas’ agent in saying that Thomas would refuse to do that. If they don’t start him, Thomas’ agent reportedly said, then the sides will push for a buyout.

Now, it was also reported that Thomas is “ecstatic” to be with the Lakers, and that he had touched base with both president Magic Johnson and general manager Rob Pelinka. But it’s an ominous sign to begin Thomas’ Los Angeles tenure after being traded for the second time in a year, and for the second time right at an NBA trade deadline.

March 28, 2018: Thomas will undergo hip surgery

I.T. showed flashes of his old self in a brief time with the Lakers. He scored 29 points on 55 percent shooting against the Heat and averaged 16.9 points per game in the month of March. But he experienced some stiffness in his hip and proceeded to sit out two games. Then he left the team to consult specialists in New York.

Thomas underwent a minor procedure to clean debris in his hip from his 2017 injury. He did not return for the remained of the 20172-2018 season.

July 12, 2018: Thomas posts Instagram regarding his free agency woes

There weren’t a ton of teams begging for Thomas when the clock struck midnight on July 1. In fact, potentially no one was calling. There were rumors of Orlando being interested but for the most part it quiet. Thomas made it nearly two weeks into free agency before posting this.

July 13, 2018: Thomas signs one-year deal with Nuggets for the veteran’s minimum.

Thomas will likely be a backup again in Denver, this time to Jamal Murray. The situation with his hip injury is unclear right now, but if he is healthy, he could easily contribute to a Nuggets team that is on the edge of making the playoffs. They’re a talented team with players like Gary Harris, Paul Millsap and Nikola Jokic. This will be Thomas’ chance to prove again who he really is.

March 18, 2019: Thomas gets emotional as his tribute video is finally played in Boston

IT finally got his moment to reflect on his accomplishments in TD Garden. It’s been a long road to get to this point, with several undesirable turns, but the past can’t change. IT was a Boston sports hero, and he — and the crowd — embraced that.

This story has been updated from it’s original publish date in March, 2018.