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Isaiah Thomas is getting closer and closer to making his debut for the Cleveland Cavaliers. 

He's joined the team for pre-game warmups, participated in scrimmages and even threw down a dunk on Instagram. But even as he continues to reach milestones in his recovery, the Cavs continue to be patient -- something that seems to be getting old for Thomas. 

In fact, Thomas said he tried to force his way into the lineup against his old team, the Sacramento Kings, on Wednesday. Of course, the Cavs said no. 

The Cavs have made it clear that Thomas is quite close to returning, but the earliest he could do so is Tuesday night at home against the Portland Trail Blazers. As much as they want him on the floor, they're aware they need to be cautious. Via ESPN:

"We want him back," Lue said. "We need him back. We need a guy who can run pick-and-roll, can score the basketball, can get to the free throw line, can play with pace, can get into the paint. We need that. We're excited about him. He's very close. I understand how it feels to want to play, and the medical staff is saying he just needs a little bit more time. He has to be patient. I have to be patient. The players have to be patient.

"After seeing him today, they were excited. But they've got to be patient and stay the course. His time is coming soon. But don't think for one second we don't want him out there. That's stupid. We want him out there."

The Cavs' next game following their road trip is Tuesday at home against the Portland Trail Blazers. Thomas has not been ruled out of that game, and Cleveland will hold another scrimmage at practice on New Year's Day to get Thomas some more reps.

Even though they've lost three of their last four games, including a surprising loss to the Kings last time out, this is the smart move by the Cavs. The regular season doesn't really matter for this team, as they showed last season when they dominated the Eastern Conference playoffs despite not having the top seed. 

The most important thing for Cleveland is to be healthy come playoff time, and rushing Thomas back isn't going to help with that goal.