Would Isaiah Thomas be a good free agent for the Los Angeles Clippers to target this offseason?
Just one year ago, Isaiah Thomas was considered one of the league’s most lethal scorers and was the franchise player for the Boston Celtics. He helped lead them to the Eastern Conference Finals, but unfortunately missed the entire series due to a hip injury.
Thomas has reportedly been shut down for the remainder of this season and will have surgery on his troublesome hip. The Los Angeles Lakers do have interest in talking about a new deal this offseason with Thomas, according to ESPN‘s Adrian Wojnarowski.
During the offseason, the Celtics made the blockbuster trade that sent Thomas to the Cleveland Cavaliers. Kyrie Irving was sent back to Boston to be the long-term face of their franchise. Thomas was expected to be a good fit alongside LeBron James, but that did not end up being the case.
Prior to the trade deadline, the Cavaliers traded Thomas to the Lakers. Cleveland made the move after getting off to a slow start to the season. Jordan Clarkson and Larry Nance Jr. were traded to the Cavaliers for Thomas.
Also during the offseason, the Los Angeles Clippers made a massive blockbuster trade. Chris Paul made it clear he wanted to play with James Harden and the Houston Rockets, which forced the Clippers to move on from their franchise point guard.
Throughout the course of the 2017-18 season, the Clippers have had some issues at the point guard position. Patrick Beverley was the starting point guard at the start of the season, but went down with an injury. Both Milos Teodosic and Austin Rivers have had their share of injury bugs as well.
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Looking ahead to the upcoming offseason, there is one free agent in particular that could make sense for the Clippers. That player is Thomas, who would immediately step in as the starter for L.A.
Thomas has been coming off the bench for the Lakers, outside of starting one game. He has averaged 15.6 points per game to go along with 5.0 assists. His shooting percentages are 38.3 percent from the field and 32.7 percent from the 3-point line.
Los Angeles may not be able to afford Thomas without making a move or two depending on what kind of contract he wants. Heading into this season, many thought that Thomas would be able to demand a max contract. Now, it appears that his demands may have to come down a bit.
Bringing Thomas in would be an intriguing move, to say the least, for the Clippers. He would bring explosiveness to the point guard position again. His defense has been one of his biggest weaknesses throughout his career, but the production that he could help bring offensively might just be worth bringing him on board.
While he is known for his lethal scoring ability, Thomas has averaged 5.1 assists throughout his career as well. His ability to get to the paint could bode well for DeAndre Jordan and help jumpstart “Lob City” once again.
L.A. also has a solid core of players that Thomas would be added to in addition to Jordan. Tobias Harris has had a breakout season for the Clippers, while the team was also able to sign Lou Williams to a new contract. Other pieces like Danilo Gallinari and Beverley will also add to the depth of the roster.
Only time will tell if the Clippers have interest in signing Thomas this offseason, but it is intriguing to think about. Thomas may not get back to being the “superstar” that many viewed him as again, but he is still more than capable of having a big impact on a game on any given night.
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Los Angeles could certainly use that type of a threat if the price is right.