Isaiah Thomas wasn’t able to speak a Boston Celtics reunion into existence, but the 32-year-old point guard reportedly has landed an NBA opportunity.
Thomas plans to sign a 10-day contract with the New Orleans Pelicans, according to multiple reports.
Sources told ESPN’s Andrew Lopez on Friday that Thomas has been in New Orleans undergoing COVID-19 testing, which will allow the two-time All-Star to immediately join the Pelicans.
The Athletic’s Shams Charania reported Friday, citing sources, that Thomas is eligible to debut with his new team Sunday against the Houston Rockets.
Thomas, who underwent hip surgery last May, hasn’t appeared in an NBA game since February 2020, although he played in two FIBA AmeriCup qualifying games with Team USA this February.
Thomas, the final pick in the 2011 NBA Draft, had an excellent two-plus seasons with the Celtics after joining Boston at the trade deadline in 2015. He earned Second-Team All-NBA honors in 2016-17, a season in which he averaged a career-high 28.9 points per game.
Thomas, who played for the Sacramento Kings and Phoenix Suns before landing with Boston, has appeared in games with the Cleveland Cavaliers, Los Angeles Lakers, Denver Nuggets and Washington Wizards since leaving the C’s. He averaged 12.2 points, 3.7 assists and 1.7 rebounds in 23.1 minutes per game across 40 contests with the Wizards in 2019-20.
It remains to be seen whether Thomas will carve out a role in New Orleans, but the Pelicans, who are dealing with numerous injuries, needed to sign a player by Saturday to reach the NBA’s 14-man roster requirement.
