Isaiah Thomas, Isaiah Thomas injury update
May 19, 2017; Boston, MA, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers guard Kyrie Irving (2) drives against Boston Celtics guard Isaiah Thomas (4) during the first half in game two of the Eastern conference finals of the NBA Playoffs at TD Garden. USA TODAY Sports / Winslow Townson

Boston Celtics star Isaiah Thomas is hoping to avoid hip surgery after aggravating a previous injury during Game 2 of the Eastern Conference Finals against the Cleveland Cavaliers. Thomas was forced to sit out the next three games as the Cavs wrapped up the series with a 4-1 margin to advance to the 2017 NBA Finals.

The 5-foot-7 guard had initially injured his right hip during the March 15 game against the Minnesota Timberwolves. The initial injury forced him to miss only two regular season games until he aggravated it during Game 6 of the Eastern Conference semi-finals against the Washington Wizards last week. Celtics coach Brad Stevens recently revealed that Thomas played through the injury during the critical Game 7.

"(Surgery is) not the No. 1 option right now, but it could be once the swelling goes down. They want to let (the swelling) die down a little bit then take another MRI once everything is down and it's back to normal. We'll go from there. Hopefully I don't have to have surgery, but I know that is an option," Thomas said during his team's exit interview on Friday, via Real GM.

Isaiah Thomas injury update: Celtics star faces questions about future

There's a lot of speculation surrounding Thomas' future in Boston. Thomas, an unrestricted free agent in 2018, is viewed by many as "too undersized" and "a defensive liability" who will struggle to lead the Celtics to its next championship. Since Thomas is Boston's No. 1 scoring option, several insiders believe general manger Danny Ainge will make some harsh decisions this offseason which could include replacing Thomas with possible No. 1 overall pick Markelle Fultz or Lonzo Ball.

"I've got to do what's best for me in the long run, what's best for my body. As (coach) Brad [Stevens] continues to say each and every day, it's how you're healthiest for the long run. Even [Celtics president of basketball operations] Danny [Ainge] and those guys say that, so that says a lot about who they are as people," added Thomas.

Isaiah Thomas, the All-Star point guard, averaged a career-high tally of 28.9 points and 5.9 assists in his sixth NBA season. At one stage, Thomas was a legitimate MVP candidate but lost some favour due to his defensive inefficiency.