INDEPENDENCE, Ohio _ The Cavaliers welcomed Isaiah Thomas, Jae Crowder and Ante Zizic to Cleveland on Thursday with an introductory news conference at Cleveland Clinic Courts.
Thomas, Crowder and Zizic discussed last month's trade that sent them to the Cavs and shipped Kyrie Irving to the Boston Celtics.
The players reflected on how they are transitioning from playing for the Celtics to joining the rival Cavs, but neither Thomas, Cavs general manager Koby Altman nor Cavs coach Tyronn Lue was willing to give an update on Thomas' injured hip.
"Obviously, it has been so well documented _ the hip injury _ the past week and a half, but to be fair to Isaiah we are not going to address any specifics of the hip injury," Altman said. "We are also not going to put a timetable on his return. We are not going to rush it at all.
"We are very fortunate that we have some of the best doctors in the world at the Cleveland Clinic and we are also very fortunate that we have some of the best performance team in the league that has a well thought-out plan and an established plan in place that IT has already started. Again, we are not going to rush this thing.
"The goal is to bring him back at some point this year and be healthy and compete and get back to IT status. That is our goal and our responsibility to him."
Altman later added that the plan with Thomas, a two-time all-star, is "non surgical."
"I am just getting treatment each and every day, working out," said Thomas, who wore a wine-colored jacket. "Koby said we have a plan set and we are just going to attack that plan and get back to 100 percent as soon as possible."
The 5-foot-9 Thomas, 28, will be entering his seventh season in the NBA. The Sacramento Kings drafted Thomas in the second round with the 60th and last pick of the 2012 draft, which began with the Cavs selecting Irving No. 1 overall.
Thomas was traded to the Phoenix Suns in 2014 and then was dealt to the Celtics in 2015. He averaged 28.9 points and 5.9 assists per game last year in the regular season for the Celtics, who lost to the Cavaliers in the Eastern Conference finals. In the playoffs last season, Thomas averaged 23.3 points and 6.7 assists per game.
"Isaiah Thomas, just being around him the last couple of days, you realize what a special human being this guy is," Altman said. "Obviously, you talk about him being an all-star like he did for the Celtics, but he is just an incredible high character human being. You can tell that he fights for everything. Everything he has earned, he has fought for.
"I am excited to add his toughness, his grittiness, his attitude and his work ethic to this team. Just being around him the last two days or three days I can see how him and Jae were the heart and soul of a Celtics team that finished first in the East last year [in the regular season]. Those guys were a big part of that. We are excited to welcome them and their families."
Crowder, 27, will be entering his sixth season in the NBA. The Cavs picked him in the second round (No. 34 overall) of the 2012 draft and then traded him to the Dallas Mavericks. After 2 { seasons with the Mavs, he was dealt to the Celtics in 2014.
A 6-6 swingman, Crowder averaged 13.9 points and 5.8 rebounds per game last year in the regular season and 13.6 points and 6.4 rebounds per game in the playoffs.
"Jae Crowder, this is a guy that we liked for quite some time," Altman said. "He is an analytics marvel. His on court/off court plus-minus is at a high level. He contributes to winning at an extremely high level. That is why we value him.
"He also bring a tough, gritty attitude defensively. He will pick up the best player [defensively on the other side]. He is going to bring that to this team. He is a core piece to this Cavaliers team moving forward.
"Jae has also gotten better every year he has been in the league. He has also added to his repertoire. His 3-point shooting was a career-high last year at something like 39.8 percent. That is going to add tremendous value to our team."
Zizic, 20, is a 7-footer who had pro experience playing abroad before competing for the Celtics in the NBA Summer League.
"Ante Zizic we know pretty well through the draft process and then also scouting him this past year," Altman said. "He is a 20-year-old that's played in the highest level of the EuroLeague. He is also tough. He plays with a motor and we are excited about his growth as a young big for this franchise."
