Suns' Thomas: Breakup with Kings began when they signed Collison

Isaiah Thomas knew his time with the Sacramento Kings was coming to an end on July 3. 

That was the day the Kings and free agent point guard Darren Collison first agreed to a three-year, $16 million deal, effectively pushing the restricted free agent out the door. 

"When they did that, I knew I wasn't coming back," Thomas told Blake Ellington of SB Nation. "Going into my fourth year, I felt like I kind of proved myself to be a starter, especially on the Sacramento Kings and like I told them, coach Malone, who was one of my biggest fans and the best coaches that I have had in my three years in the NBA, I told him if you bring somebody in better than me I'm just going to compete, I understand if you bring somebody like Chris Paul that's somebody that I'm not going to start over no matter what, I'm going to play my role and I'm going to compete. But if you bring in somebody, a draft pick or somebody that's just not better than me I feel like it is disrespectful. When they picked Darren Collison, I felt like it was time for me to move on."

Thomas was packaged in a sign-and-trade with the Phoenix Suns worth a reported $27 million over four years. 

The 5-foot-9 point guard said he has no hard feelings towards the team that selected him with the last pick in the 2011 draft, but feels the Kings might end up regretting their decision. 

I respect the Sacramento Kings, I got the upmost respect for them, they're the ones that gave me a chance before anybody did so I would never put down the Sacramento Kings front office, or anybody in that organization because they welcomed me with open arms. So when I say I felt disrespected, I just felt like the way I played the game of basketball wasn't appreciated. So they always say you don't know what you got until it's gone, and I feel like that's going to happen.