Isaiah Thomas has something to say

We’ll keep this intro short and sweet: you need to go read Isaiah Thomas in The Players’ Tribune on his trade from Boston to Cleveland. If you don’t root for this dude, something’s wrong with you. He perfectly distills what one imagines are the mixed and combustible feelings of being traded after a banner season. He warns those who stand in the Cavaliers’ path. He talks about loyalty. It’s a hit parade. Go read it.

The WNBA playoffs began Wednesday. We had a barnburner that included SCUFFLIN’ in Dallas vs. Washington with the Mystics advancing, plus Brittney Griner was the hammer Phoenix needed to beat the Storm. The next games are Sunday: the Mystics will face the cracklin’ hot New York Liberty and the Mercury will visit the Connecticut Sun. After that, the semifinal series begin Tuesday.

Why a Lynx-Sparks Finals isn’t as likely as it was last season.

The San Antonio Stars did not make the WNBA playoffs. Will all three guards, including Kelsey Plum, be back next season?

By the way, in Tuesday’s newsletter I confused myself about the WNBA playoff structure and said the Lynx or Sparks could be knocked out in single elimination. This is not true. The WNBA playoff structure confounded me, and I regret the error!

Tom Haberstroh goes deep on Isaiah Thomas’ labrum injury and explains how it could impact the Cavaliers’ title run.

The entire field for the 16-team knockout round at EuroBasket 2017 is set. Perhaps the best story: Hungary, who won a EuroBasket game for the first time since 1969, is led by Adam Hanga, who apparently almost joined the Spurs this summer, Hungary is in the knockouts. So is Finland, who is in position for its best Euro finish since 1967 (if not ever). The seeds will get sorted out on Thursday; the knockouts begin Saturday.

Other than favorite Spain, Slovenia has been the best team at EuroBasket. Part of the credit is due to Luka Doncic, who is making his case to be the No. 1 pick in 2018.

Bogdan Bogdanovic, who joined the Kings this summer, is fighting hard to become the leader Serbia needs without Milos Teodosic.

We have some sniping unfolding, as well. Ettore Messina, the legend, is coaching the Italian team for the last time. He ripped the new FIBA qualification system in a cogent critique. His main beef: the players called on to qualify during the inconvenient midseason international windows won’t be the players to actually represent their countries at the World Cup or Olympics. This is true! In response, FIBA grand poobah Patrick Baumann ripped into Messina, basically telling him to shut up and coach and diminishing the power of Euroleague. Time will tell.

I feel like I understand Jimmy Butler better after this Michael Pina profile.

I wrote about five young free agents who are surprisingly still available.

In praise of the coming JaVale McGee-Nick Young Reunion Singularity.

Since we last met, Tilman Feritta announced he’d be buying the Rockets for $2.2 billion, a record amount. Here’s what you need to know about him. My prediction from July holds: this is going to start a boomlet of franchise sales as older owners or those who picked up teams on the cheap cash out.

Did you know 18 NBA players have signature shoes? Michael Sykes has the full list here.