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Washington Wizards point guard Isaiah Thomas has undergone surgery to repair a ligament in his left thumb, sidelining him for six-to-eight weeks, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic. This is now the third straight season in which Thomas will not be ready to start once the campaign commences, as his recovery timetable puts him well into the Oct. 22 start for the season.
Thomas reportedly hurt his thumb during a workout on Monday, according to Chase Hughes of NBC Sports Washington.
“This was an unfortunate setback for Isaiah, but with his resolve and the top care he will receive from our medical team, we expect him to make a full recovery,” said general manager Tommy Sheppard.
Thomas, who is coming off back-to-back hip procedures in the last two offseasons, will not be able to see the court until early November at the earliest, perhaps even at the end of that month if he requires further rehabilitation.
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The Wizards signed him with the intention of having a starting-quality point guard to run their offense next to Bradley Beal, following the trade of Tomas Satoransky and how All-Star John Wall is unlikely to see the court in 2019-20.
Thomas' absence will be a definite blow for Washington, who will have to put the load on the hands of Beal once again, much like he did to finish out last season after Wall's injury. Ish Smith is likely to take Thomas' spot to start the season, though the bulk of the ballhandling will likely fall on Beal's shoulders until Thomas has fully recovered.
The Wizards however can still make some changes with only 13 guaranteed contracts (including Thomas') and five players potentially fighting for the last two spots in the roster, according to ESPN's Bobby Marks. The free agent pool is however slim at this point of the offseason, which would render another signing merely inconsequential.
