Isaiah Thomas will finish his 2023-24 NBA story with the Phoenix Suns. The Pacific division franchise is reportedly signing the veteran NBA point guard to a deal that will have Thomas in the team's fold for the rest of the campaign, as reported by Shams Charania of The Athletic.
“Comeback complete: The Phoenix Suns plan to sign guard Isaiah Thomas for the remainder of the season, sources tell @TheAthletic @Stadium . In his 12th NBA season, Thomas completed two 10-days – providing the Suns backcourt depth, strong leadership and vet presence in locker room.”
Isaiah Thomas staying with the Suns
Thomas, who just turned 35 last February, initially joined the Suns on a 10-day contract last March before getting another 10-day contract from the team. Clearly, Phoenix sees the value that Thomas brings to the table even though he is only seeing minimal minutes on the floor. In his first four appearances with the Suns this season, Thomas has averaged only 1.3 points and 0.5 assists in 5.1 minutes per outing.
The Suns are pretty much set in the point guard position, with Devin Booker and Bradley Beal atop the slot's pecking order over at Phoenix. They also have Saben Lee and Grayson Allen as PG options when things get a little more desperate for the Suns, while Thomas is part of the mix as well. He is not going to see himself have the same role he used to have during his prime years in the league, particularly when he was still with the Boston Celtics, but his experience and presence in the locker room are two qualities the Suns could use in 2024 NBA Playoffs.
Thomas' days as a heavy-usage guard are long over, but at the very least, he's still on the roster of a legitimate NBA title contender. At the time of this writing, the Suns are sixth in the standings in the Western Conference with a 46-32 record. They are still not guaranteed a spot in the conference's top six, with the New Orleans Pelicans, Sacramento Kings, and the Los Angeles Lakers still giving Phoenix a chase with less than a week in the regular season.
Before he was signed by the Suns, Thomas last played in the NBA in the 2021-22 NBA season with the Charlotte Hornets. He did not play in the league in the entire 2022-23 campaign but he never fully lost hope in his chances of finding his way back to the NBA. Fortunately for Thomas, one of his former teams reached out to him. Thomas first suited up with the Suns in the 2014-15 season after he got sent to The Valley by the Sacramento Kings via an offseason trade in 2014 for $7.2 million trade exception and Alex Oriakhi.
Thomas also had stints with the Cleveland Cavaliers, Denver Nuggets, Los Angeles Lakers, Dallas Mavericks, and the Pelicans.
Social media reactions to Phoenix signing Thomas for the rest of 2023-24 NBA season
“Wish it could have been Boston but happy for IT!” posted CelticsCurt on X (formerly Twitter).
“As an honest suns fan, I want to see a three guard lineup involving Beal, Booker, and IT,” said @pbp_Rich.
“Happy for him. Still wanna see him get some minutes tho!” chimed in @X1001Quotes.
From @HowUBenFeller: “Massive W… one of the best guys in the NBA”
“PLAYOFF IT GONNA BE DANGEROUS,” predicted @VALUEPICKS4.
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