Isaiah Thomas sure seems open to returning to the Celtics.
Might Boston be interested in a reunion?
Thomas, who recently indicated he's healthy and eyeing an NBA comeback after undergoing a hip procedure, has struggled ever since leaving Boston in the trade that sent Kyrie Irving to the Celtics before the 2017-18 season. It's certainly fair to wonder what he has left at age 31.
But the Celtics might need a backup point guard, as well as an additional scoring punch off the bench, and Thomas is a fascinating possibility based on his upside and familiarity with the organization.
In fact, Sam Quinn, NBA writer for CBS Sports, predicted in a column published Wednesday that the Celtics indeed will sign I.T. this offseason.
Here's Quinn's reasoning:
The Celtics need to pinch pennies given how deep into tax territory they already are. Brad Wanamaker is going to cost more than the minimum to retain, and the Celtics already have Romeo Langford and Carsen Edwards waiting for minutes. They'll let Wanamaker walk and bring in another point guard with the minimum. It needs to be someone accepting of the fact that the Celtics would prefer to play Langford and Edwards, but are open-minded if a veteran beats them out. Thomas, at this stage of his career, is likely flexible and may be willing to bet on himself in the system that once made him an All-Star.
Thomas has bounced around in recent years, playing for the Cleveland Cavaliers, Los Angeles Lakers, Denver Nuggets and Washington Wizards since leaving the Celtics. He's also struggled to stay healthy.
But perhaps he's poised for a career renaissance with his hip injury behind him. And what better way for the fairytale to end than for him to help the C's win their 18th championship banner.
Thomas, who also played for the Sacramento Kings and Phoenix Suns before spending two-plus seasons with the Celtics (2014-17), earned two All-Star selections with Boston. He averaged a career-high 28.9 points per game during the 2016-17 campaign.
