Washington Wizards: Complete grades for the 2019 NBA offseason
By Ben Yokoyama
Sign Isaiah Thomas
The league pities Isaiah Thomas. The former All-Star and near-MVP had a great thing going with the Boston Celtics before a slew of injuries hampered for the better part of two seasons.
But IT has a great attitude about his new opportunity and is exactly the type of player the Washington Wizards need both in the locker room and on the court.
Last season the Denver Nuggets signed him to a minimum contract knowing he would likely not see the court until the last month of the season. He played in just 12 games but was a great influence on a young Nuggets team.
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This season the Wizards signed him to another minimum deal, but this time IT is ready to play. Not only can be another veteran presence with trade piece C.J. Miles and signee Ish Smith, but he has a chance to earn himself some major minutes, likely off the bench.
At the end of last season, the bench scoring came from Jabari Parker, but the Wizards did not re-sign the forward this offseason.
Now with Bradley Beal leading the scoring for the first team, coach Scott Brooks will likely have Thomas lead what could be a ragtag bunch on the Wizards’ bench squad.
This was a great deal for the Wizards and for IT. Thomas gets another chance to play and show he can bounce back, while the Wizards get a low-risk, high-reward player who may love his time in Washington and be willing to re-sign next season if he plays well.