Among the free-agent guards that have been signed to NBA teams recently, Isaiah Thomas has absurdly not been one of them.
Isaiah Thomas is not the player he once was in the 2016-17 NBA season. The guard is no longer an All-Star or an MVP candidate, but he deserves to be in this league. These last few seasons have been a roller coaster ride for Thomas, and he proved this season with the Washington Wizards that he could still play at a high level.
In John Wall’s absence, Thomas showcased that he still had some fuel left in the tank as he took over the team’s starting point guard duties. In 40 games this season, the 31-year-old averaged 12.2 points per game on 40.8 percent field goal shooting and a stellar 41.3 percent from downtown.
Although not the most impressive all-around numbers, Thomas was in the midst of a bounce-back season before he got traded to and immediately waived by the LA Clippers. The guard went unsigned and currently remains without a job, despite the NBA’s resumption having teams scouring the market for guard help.
In particular, two guards got picked up this week that appeared questionable choices over the currently unemployed Thomas, those being Trey Burke and Ryan Broekhoff. Both are serviceable players and great pickups for their teams, but choosing them over Thomas has some scratching their heads.
After playing in 25 games this season with the Philadelphia 76ers, Trey Burke averaged 5.9 points in 13.2 minutes per game this season. The guard saw hardly any action but signed a deal with the Dallas Mavericks to finish the season regardless.
Ryan Broekhoff appeared in just 17 games for the Dallas Mavericks this season and averaged a mere 4.2 points in 10.6 minutes per game. Broekhoff recently signed a deal with the Philadelphia 76ers, which now has two guards off the market, neither of them being Isaiah Thomas.
Thomas’s defensive presence will always hinder the team he is on and is likely a significant reason he is unsigned.
As much of a liability he is on the defensive end, Thomas could still be a valid contributor with the ball in his hands. He might not be a certified starter on most teams soon heading to the Orlando bubble, but he could certainly come off the bench and provide a spark offensively.
Several teams that will participate in the NBA’s resumption next month could use some help off the bench, and Thomas could be of some assistance. The Phoenix Suns, Houston Rockets, Boston Celtics, and Portland Trail Blazers ranked as the bottom four teams in bench scoring when the season halted. Any and all could use some help in scoring off the bench and should look to take a gamble on the former All-Star.
With the NBA expanding rosters from 17 spots up from the usual 15 for the remainder of this season, teams do not have to drastically shift their current roster to sign anyone. This could ultimately pave the way for someone to sign Thomas in the coming days if a team chooses to do so.
Thomas himself has been relatively quiet regarding his future in the NBA, but his recent response to a tweet assured that he is ready for whoever calls. The original tweet called for the Boston Celtics, Thomas’ team that he reached his peak on, to bring him back for the rest of the season.
Thomas responded, “Or back to any team in the league. Lol.”
The guard clearly wants another shot in the league for any willing team. After his slight resurgence this season, he deserves a chance.