NBA Rumors: Isaiah Thomas Joining Lakers After Strong G League Debut

Isaiah Thomas reportedly didn’t need much time to convince NBA teams he could hang in the big league.

Hours after he went off in his G League debut with the Grand Rapids Gold — dropping 42 points with six rebounds and eight assists — Thomas reportedly signed a 10-day contract with the Los Angeles Lakers.

The Athletic’s Shams Charania reported the deal comes under a hardship exemption, as Russell Westbrook and Avery Bradley both entered health and safety protocols. The pair joined Talen Horton-Tucker, Dwight Howard and Malik Monk in health and safety protocols.

Those roster moves qualified the Lakers for a hardship exemption, which allows teams to go over the 15-player roster limit if illness sidelines at least four players for at least two weeks, according to ESPN’s Dave McMenamin and Adrian Wojnarowski.

Thomas, a two-time All-Star with the Boston Celtics, didn’t find a team in free agency during the offseason. He played just three games for the New Orleans Pelicans during the 2020-21 campaign.

He played 17 games for the Lakers in the 2017-18 season following his trade from Boston to the Cleveland Cavaliers.

While it’s not under the most positive circumstances, it’s exciting to see the former Celtics guard get another chance.