Celtics
Thomas, who hasn’t performed within the NBA in two years, is becoming a member of the Suns on a 10-day contract.
Isaiah Thomas has lastly discovered an NBA dwelling once more, not less than for the following 10 days.
The previous Celtics star will signal a 10-day contract with the Phoenix Suns, The Athletic‘s Shams Charania reported. It marks the primary time that Thomas has been on an NBA roster since he was with the Hornets within the 2021-22 season, becoming a member of Charlotte on a 10-day contract then as effectively.
Thomas, who turned 35 in February, has been searching for an NBA return since then, however didn’t play professionally till he joined the Utah Jazz’s G League affiliate, the Salt Lake Metropolis Stars, earlier in March. He put up huge numbers in his brief stint, scoring 32.5 factors per recreation on 40.7 % capturing from the sphere and 44.6 % capturing from distance. He additionally added 5.3 assists and 1.3 steals per recreation.
The purpose guard performed in Boston for simply over two seasons, becoming a member of the group on the commerce deadline in 2015 and blossoming into an All-Star over the following two years earlier than the Celtics traded him in 2017. He additionally grew to become a beloved participant amongst Celtics followers throughout that point, having among the best stretches of play in NBA historical past for a participant shorter than 6 ft as he scored 28.9 factors per recreation within the 2016-17 season. He completed fifth in MVP voting that 12 months because the Celtics made the Japanese Convention finals.
However late in that season, Thomas suffered a hip damage that finally sidelined him for the rest of the postseason. The damage derailed his profession, lacking the primary few months of the 2017-18 season with the Cavaliers earlier than they traded him to the Lakers. He bounced round over the following 4 seasons, having stints with six completely different groups, present process hip surgical procedure twice throughout that span.
There was some prior criticism towards Danny Ainge and the Celtics for the way in which they dealt with Thomas’s hip damage and for buying and selling him. Nonetheless, Thomas mentioned he’s made amends with Ainge, who’s now the CEO of the Jazz, crediting him for permitting him to affix their G League group.
“We chopped it up a number of occasions,” Thomas mentioned in a current interview with Gary Washburn of The Boston Globe.
“Danny, he helped make this factor occur. He linked the dots. [Stars general manager] Marquis [Newman] welcomed me in with open arms. They’re simply letting me be me, and I’m simply tremendous grateful.”
When the Celtics stopped in Utah just lately as a part of their five-game highway journey, Joe Mazzulla and different members of the employees really watched one among Thomas’s video games. That led to some hypothesis {that a} attainable reunion might be in retailer as Boston has an open roster spot.
Clearly, that didn’t occur. However Thomas nonetheless has sturdy emotions for the town the place he grew to become an NBA star.
“It’s actual love,” Thomas informed Washburn. “As you understand, Boston love is actual. Don’t matter what occurred previously. All these guys talk with me nonetheless. I’m all the time locked in on Celtics video games. That was a giant a part of my life. That was an essential time in my life as effectively, so it’s all the time going to be love for everyone who’s in that group that was a serving to hand to me and my household. I respect the help. That [expletive] goes a great distance.”
Now with the Suns, this gained’t be Thomas’s first stint in Phoenix. He signed with them within the 2014 offseason, enjoying 46 video games with the group earlier than being traded to the Celtics.
This time round, Thomas appears to be like to offer depth for a Suns group that’s searching for to make a deep postseason run. However they’ve handled accidents for a lot of the season as they don’t have a lot depth past their three stars (Kevin Durant, Devin Booker, and Bradley Beal), inflicting them to carry a 39-28 file and sit in sixth place within the Western Convention.
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