Isaiah Thomas has defied the odds as one of the shortest players in NBA history and being the last pick in the 2011 NBA Draft. After Thomas thought he had finally found a home with the Boston Celtics, they traded him to the Cleveland Cavaliers, who eventually traded him to the Los Angeles Lakers after just 15 games.
In seven seasons, Thomas has already played for five different teams. With the 29-year-old set to become an unrestricted free agent, he expressed his desire to re-sign with the Lakers according to ESPN:
“I'm coming to an L.A. team that's young, that already has a system. And I just want to help. Hopefully I'm here long term, you know, with me being a free agent this summer. But if I'm not, these last 25 games I'm going to play my heart out and show the Lakers why I should be here long term.”
Thomas also compared his current situation to his 2.5 seasons with the Celtics:
“I've been in this situation before when I got traded to Boston,” Thomas said, “a team right outside the playoffs, a team that was young, really didn't know how to win. And I just brought a different swagger to that organization. And we took it and ran with it.”
Through five games with the Lakers, Thomas is averaging 13.2 points and 4.2 assists in 21.8 minutes. After missing the first 36 games of the 2017-18 NBA season, it is clear the two-time All-Star has not fully recovered from his hip injury as he looks to regain his form.
For the Lakers, it is no secret they are clearing cap space in hopes of signing two max contract players in LeBron James and Paul George this summer. While Thomas likely would not be returning if all goes well, there is another scenario if the Lakers ultimately strike out. Similar to Los Angeles signing Kentavious Caldwell-Pope to a one-year, $18 million deal, Thomas could return under these circumstances to help the Lakers preserve cap space for 2019 free agency.
With 23 games remaining in the season, it will be interesting to see how Thomas balances his personal and team goals.
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