Lakers’ Isaiah Thomas Out Due To Hip Soreness; Return Date Unclear

Isaiah Thomas’ nemesis has struck again.

The Los Angeles Lakers guard has left the team for an examination on his troublesome hip, team website beat writer Mike Trudell reported Monday. Hip soreness sidelined Thomas for the Lakers’ last two games, and his potential return date apparently is unclear.

Thomas suffered a right femoral-acetabular impingement last March but declined to undergo surgery in order to remain in the Boston Celtics’ lineup in the NBA playoffs. The Celtics traded him to the Cleveland Cavaliers in the offseason, but he missed the first 32 games in an effort to cure the hip problem through rest and rehabilitation.

Cleveland then shipped Thomas to Los Angeles just before the NBA trade deadline, and he had settled comfortably into the Lakers’ rotation, playing his first 32 games with the team without apparent physical problems.

Thomas’ hip injuries and subsequent setbacks come amid the final year of his contract. He was hoping to sign a massive contract this summer, but this latest news might cost him enormous sums, according to Bleacher Report’s Tyler Conway.

Professional sports sometimes can be a cruel business.