3 NBA players who bet on themselves and lost millions

NBA Player #3: Isaiah Thomas

Isaiah Thomas started his career in Sacramento and managed to carve out a sizable role despite being the last pick in the 2011 NBA draft. He later ended up with the Boston Celtics, where his career really took off. He made the All-Star team twice and finished 5th in MVP voting in the 2016-17 season after averaging 28.9 points and 5.3 assists and leading the Celtics to 53 wins.

Thomas seemed to be flying high, even famously saying that the Celtics “better bring out the Brinks truck” or at least sign him to a max contract to be able to retain him. Unfortunately, a serious hip injury prevented that from happening. The Celtics lost early in the playoffs, and Kyrie Irving became available in the offseason.

Boston then traded Thomas to Cleveland in the Irving deal, but it almost didn’t happen over serious concerns about his hip. He missed the first three months of the following season before debuting with the Cavs, but he wasn’t nearly as good.

He averaged just 14.7 points per game and was soon traded to the Lakers, but played only a few games before being shut down due to another hip injury that required surgery. Instead of the Brink’s truck, he was offered only a minimum contract with the Nuggets and played just 12 games for them after spending most of the year rehabbing his injury.

All told, Thomas has made just $5.3 million since the summer of 2018, the same summer he thought he’d receive a max contract, and has played for five teams during that span. Although he can’t be blamed for the hip injury that sidetracked his career, he ultimately bet on himself and lost.

Overall, Shroeder, Noel, and Thomas each had a chance to secure a big payday, and each failed. Luckily, they’re all still in the NBA and have a chance to increase their earnings, but each left millions on the table and aren’t going to see that type of money again.