Isaiah Thomas almost achieved his goal of returning to the NBA as part of the Lake Show.
The former Boston Celtics guard confirmed to Stadium's Shams Charania the Los Angeles Lakers were the team he almost joined last offseason. The Lakers were one of the teams Thomas worked out with last summer, and he believes they intended to sign him to a contract until Rajon Rondo's availability prompted Los Angeles to change their plans.
"I was very close," Thomas said, as seen in a video Charania shared via Twitter. "I really believe if the (Rajon) Rondo buyout didn't happen, I would have been a Laker. All respect to Rondo and respect to the Lakers organization. I was around those guys a little bit, I was able to work out with Bron (LeBron James) and (Russell) Westbrook, so they've seen me in my element, and they've seen me back to the person I am.
"Things happen, I can't control that. I was very close to signing with the Lakers, and that would have probably been a really good opportunity to play with such great players and to be able to learn from such great players and be in an organization like the Lakers again, that would have been super dope. But it didn't happen, and you've got to move forward."
Thomas to this point had been coy about the teams he auditioned with during the offseason, but his interview with Charania confirms earlier reports that it was the Lakers.
Thomas last played in the NBA in 2020-21 when he was with the New Orleans Pelicans, but he appeared in just three games during that short stint with the team. He previously played for the Lakers in 2017-18.
Having overcome the hip injury that derailed his career, he has been working out diligently to maintain his sharpness in case an NBA team shows interest in his services. With teams often looking to boost their respective rosters after the new year, there's a chance that NBA call might come sooner, rather than later.
