Former Boston Celtics point guards Isaiah Thomas and Kemba Walker — once viewed as franchise cornerstones — are reportedly on the radar of one fellow Eastern Conference organization.
According to NBA reporter Marc Stein, written in a Sunday edition of his Substack newsletter, the Charlotte Hornets have eyes on the Celtics alumni.
“The Hornets are said to have added Elfrid Payton to the list of guards they are considering along with the prospect of re-signing Isaiah Thomas or club legend Kemba Walker, who remains on Detroit’s roster with his anticipated buyout still on hold,” Stein wrote in his Aug. 28 edition.
Thomas, 33, spent three seasons in Boston, the strongest campaigns in his NBA career. As a Celtic, he averaged his career-high 28.9 points per game in the 2016-17 season — finishing fifth in MVP voting behind Russell Westbrook, James Harden, Kawhi Leonard, and LeBron James. Thomas also made two All-Star teams under his Celtics tenure, leading Boston to one No. 1 seed finish and a conference finals appearance.
Since, Thomas has bounced from team to team, playing for the Hornets last season for a brief 17-game stretch — averaging 8.3 points in 12.9 minutes. Back in July, the 11-season veteran displayed his talents in the Drew League. There Thomas dropped 45 points while nailing seven three-point attempts, and was named the “Player of the Game.”
Walker, now 32, spent two seasons with the Celtics prior to his departure from Boston. Before then, Walker entered the league with Charlotte — finishing his eight-year stint as the franchise’s all-time leading scorer with 12,009 total points scored in 605 total games.
Thomas and Walker aren’t the only ex-Celtics to potentially make a return to a former team. It was reported on Aug. 23 former Celtics guard of 49 games, Dennis Schröder, is a “legit consideration” for the Los Angeles Lakers organization.
