Last season, Isaiah Thomas was one of the best players in the NBA. Even at 5'9″, Thomas averaged 28.9 points and 5.9 assists per game for the Boston Celtics. He also finished fifth in MVP voting last season.

However, after injuring his hip and being traded to the Cleveland Cavaliers, Thomas gained scrutiny for his play. He was criticized constantly for his shot selection, and his defense was abysmal. Many started to wonder if Thomas could thrive in the NBA again and earn the max contract he desperately wanted.

After being traded to the Los Angeles Lakers on Thursday, those thoughts became widespread in the NBA community. For his sixth NBA season, this is the sixth time Thomas has been traded. Nonetheless, Portland Trail Blazers star C.J McCollum, in a response to a tweet, appears to understand Thomas' struggles and believes that he will bounce back and rehabilitate his career.

“All about fit , comfort and opportunity. Not easy coming off an injury. Also not easy to play off ball when you’re use to having it all the time. He still a dog , no doubt about it.”

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With the Lakers, Thomas can receive a fresh start. The Lakers can use his scoring and playmaking while Lonzo Ball is out with an injury. Still, it remains to be seen if both parties will commit to each other moving forward.

Thomas is set to become an unrestricted free agent this year and will likely sign with the team that offers him the most money. On the other hand, the Lakers already have their point guard of the future. It will be interesting to see what happens moving forward.

For what it's worth though, Thomas did have a strong start to his Lakers career after scoring 22 points, fired up by a hot first half, albeit in a loss to the Dallas Mavericks.