Isaiah Thomas Presenting Strong Case For NBA Return In G League

Isaiah Thomas took a two-year hiatus, awaiting the next opportunity for an NBA team to present a contract offer.

And just three games into a G League run, it might be time to revisit that very discussion.

Thomas, who once thrived as the undersized leader of the Boston Celtics, is now thriving with the Salt Lake City Stars, the G League affiliate of the Utah Jazz. He’s averaged 32 points through three games and most recently dropped 34 points while draining seven threes with seven rebounds and five assists on Tuesday. So far, Thomas has successfully revitalized the spark that turned him from a bench player with the Phoenix Suns to two-time All-Star.

“It felt good,” Thomas told NBA.com after a 32-point G-League debut. “I’m super thankful for the opportunity. It felt amazing to be out, to be on a team again and to have that camaraderie, and just to compete at a high level.”

Thomas added: “Overall, it felt really good to be out there. I’m a little rusty but I know once I get my rhythm it’ll be like riding a bike.”

Back when Thomas was Boston’s “King of the Fourth,” scoring 30-plus points was as easy as riding a bike — with training wheels. During the 2017 playoffs, Thomas guided the Celtics to an overtime victory over the Wizards by scoring 53 points, which included a 29-point fourth quarter. However, as heroic as that run might’ve been, it wasn’t enough to keep Thomas in Boston. Before the organization drafted Jayson Tatum and signed Gordon Hayward in free agency, Thomas was traded in exchange for Kyrie Irving.

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As expected, playing alongside LeBron James while recovering from a knee injury as a member of the Cleveland Cavaliers, sunk Thomas’ stock value in an instant. No longer was Thomas entrusted to be the No. 1 scoring option ever again, proceeding to make short-term pitstops with the Los Angeles Lakers, Denver Nuggets and Charlotte Hornets among others.

That forced Thomas to get creative with proving himself worthy of a roster spot, playing in the Drew League and hosting workouts in front of scouts. It’s been an inspiring and rocky journey toward bringing that to life for Thomas.

“Before I loved anything, I loved a basketball,” Thomas added, per NBA.com. “It just brings a smile to my face. It’s never felt like work. It’s never felt like it’s been hard. It’s just something, obviously I’ve been really good at it since I was young, but everything about the game of basketball I loved, and I know until that goes away like I’m going to give it everything I have. No matter if it’s in the G League, back in the NBA — because I know I will be back there at some point — or back at the crib hooping with kids.”

First and foremost, Thomas has set the record straight: he’s not looking for playing time, but to fulfill a role as a veteran presence. Before retiring in 2023, Udonis Haslem played 65 games in his final seven seasons with the Heat, primarily providing mentorship to Miami’s locker room. Thomas, who’s now 35 years of age, can provide that and unlike Haslem, has the experience and credibility of having been the best player on a playoff team.

Before handling the Wizards in that 2017 playoff run, Thomas rallied the Celtics to overcome a 2-0 series deficit in the first round against the Chicago Bulls. In Game 6, Thomas delivered a short and quick message while huddling with Boston teammates.

“It’s a wrap for these (expletives),” Thomas shouted while tugging the jerseys of then-teammates Jae Crowder and Avery Bradley.

Maybe Jazz CEO of basketball operations Danny Ainge, who traded Thomas six years ago as former head honcho of the Celtics front office, has something in the works by linking back up with Thomas in Utah.

“We chopped it up a few times. Danny helped make this day happen,” Thomas told reporters Tuesday, per Gary Washburn of The Boston Globe. “He connected the dots.”

Thomas will spend seven more games with the Stars before their regular season concludes.