Report: Cavs want further compensation, could veto Kyrie-Isaiah Celtics trade

If the Celtics refuse to budge, Cleveland could veto the trade

The Cleveland Cavaliers clearly aren't happy with the results of newly acquired Isaiah Thomas' physical, and, according to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski, the team will seek compensation from the Celtics before finalizing Tuesday's deal that sent Thomas, Jae Crowder, Ante Zizic and Brooklyn's 2018 first-round draft pick to Cleveland in exchange for Kyrie Irving. From Wojnarowski:

After Cleveland's physical examination of Isaiah Thomas' injured hip raised concern about the timeline for his return this season, Cavaliers officials are planning to seek an additional trade asset before finalizing a deal to send four-time All-Star guard Kyrie Irving to the Boston Celtics, league sources told ESPN.

Without revisions to the original trade agreement, the Cavaliers could threaten to veto the trade, league sources said. 

According to the report, the Celtics and Cavs discussed the extent of Thomas' hip injury before the deal was completed, but Cleveland may make the case that Boston misled them about Thomas' readiness for the start of the upcoming season when asking for further compensation.

Wojnarowski doesn't say what kind of "compensation" the Cavs would be seeking, but he does report that Cleveland was interested in acquiring this year's No. 3 overall draft pick Jayson Tatum in the initial Irving trade, and Boston refused. Other possible compensation could include another draft pick -- the Celtics have their own selections plus possible access to protected future picks from the Lakers (2018), Clippers (2019) and Grizzlies (2019).

The teams have until Wednesday at 10 a.m. to submit a physical of the players involved in the trade to the league, and the deadline to pass the physical is 10 a.m. on Thursday. If both teams agree to extend the deadline, however, they can.

A vetoed trade would cause obvious problems for both sides. Irving has made it clear that he has no interest in playing with the Cavs anymore, and it's highly unlikely Cleveland could get as big of a haul for him as it did from the Celtics. On the other side, Thomas is reportedly "wounded" emotionally from the trade, so it would be difficult to convince him to play for Boston once again.

It's clearly in both teams' best interest to figure out a way to make the deal happen, so we'll have to monitor the negotiations over the next few days.