Veteran guard Isaiah Thomas has had an adventurous career in the NBA.
The 33-year-old has played for 10 teams and has never played for the same squad for more than three seasons, but he has had some outstanding years during his time in the league.
Most notably, Thomas earned two All-Star selections during his stint with the Boston Celtics, and he was even a top-five MVP finisher in the 2016-17 season.
Isaiah Thomas’ remarkable 3 year run with the Celtics is not talked about enough for being only a few years removed. This is a guy at 5’9 putting up 28 a night, being at the top of the sport. Do you realize how many hours this man put in to get to that point? @isaiahthomas pic.twitter.com/7HbhM0eCm0
— Savant Hoops (@SavantHoops) July 24, 2022
Since then, he has played for seven different teams, but he hasn’t been able to stick around for more than a season with any of those squads.
However, Thomas got a chance to play for the Charlotte Hornets to end the 2021-22 season, and during that stint, he showed the league that he’s still capable of being an impact player.
Unfortunately, he’s currently a free agent and is looking to land with a team before the 2022-23 regular season begins.
Only time will tell what his future holds in the NBA.
Still Capable Of Making An Impact
During Thomas’ stint with the Hornets, he appeared in 17 regular season games.
His playing time wasn’t through the roof, as he averaged just 12.9 minutes of action per contest, but he certainly made the most of the run that he did get.
In those 17 games, he went for 8.3 points per contest while maintaining an impressive true shooting percentage of 55.7.
The fact that he knocked down 39.7 percent of his attempts from beyond the arc did wonders for him from an efficiency standpoint.
When it comes to defense, Thomas certainly isn’t known for his impact on that side of the ball, as that’s somewhat of a weak area for him.
However, he’s clearly still capable of giving a team a nice scoring boost, and on top of that, his veteran leadership will make him an asset wherever he goes.
The former No. 60 overall pick just needs an opportunity, and it seems like there’s a good chance he’ll get one.
Final Thoughts
It was just a few years ago that Thomas averaged an efficient 28.9 points per game for the Celtics and led the team to the Eastern Conference Finals.
Most points scored in the 4th quarter of a season *last 20 years*
1. Kobe Bryant – 715 (2005-2006)
2. Isaiah Thomas – 684 (2016-2017)
3. Russell Westbrook- 681 (2016-17)
4. LeBron James – 645 (2007-2008) pic.twitter.com/V53k4YGnPE— The Celtics Fanpage (@TheCelticsFP) July 24, 2022
A lot has changed since then, but he still belongs in the NBA.
A handful of impact players remain available in free agency this offseason.
It seems like a lot of teams are waiting to see how the Kevin Durant trade saga unfolds before making decisions on how they want to fill out their rosters.
Unfortunately, with the way trade talks are reportedly going between the Brooklyn Nets and other teams around the league, the Durant situation could seemingly carry over into the 2022-23 regular season.
If the situation lasts that long, other squads are going to have no choice but to make signings without having a clear answer on where Durant will ultimately land.
One way or another, all of the talented players who are currently unsigned will eventually find homes before the regular season gets here, and it seems like there’s a pretty solid chance Thomas will be one of them.
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