The once was an NBA Most Valuable Player runner-up seems to have been forgotten by many. It was not so long ago that Isaiah Thomas led the Boston Celtics to the Eastern Conference finals against LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers. In that same year, he became top 5 in MVP voting in 2017. Five years later and Isaiah is now nowhere to be found in the NBA. But, where is Isaiah Thomas nowadays?
The rise and fall of Isaiah Thomas
Isaiah Thomas was picked dead last (60th overall) in 2011 by the Sacramento Kings. Even though I.T. was only standing at 5 feet and 9 inches, his dream was taller than anybody else. In his rookie year, he was pretty solid as he put up 11.5 points and 4.1 assists for the Kings and even got selected to the All-Rookie team. As the last pick of the 2011 draft, there was no huge expectation for the point guard. Little did the team and the whole organization that Thomas would bloom as an amazing scorer despite his height. 2013 was Thomas’ breakout season in which he averaged 20.3 points and 6.3 assists in 72 games. However, he was traded to the Suns the following season.
He was a good player, but when he came to Boston, the narrative of “being good” suddenly changed to “being all-star kind of good”. A few seasons later, Thomas becomes a legitimate all-star. He was an all-star twice (in 2016 and 2017) and was selected for the All-NBA second team in 2017. It was probably his best year as he even almost win the MVP by being fifth in total votes by averaging 28.9 points and 5.9 assists per game. Just imagine that Isaiah Thomas was once in the same sentence as LeBron James, Kawhi Leonard, Russell Westbrook, James Harden, and Steph Curry.
But, all of his success went down the drain after suffering a hip injury which forced him to be sidelined for many games.
What’s even worse is that Boston Celtics traded him away despite his performance. I.T. was never the same after that, and soon after, he was slowly going out of the NBA. He was bouncing around the league, playing in a lot of teams for 10-day contracts but never really got a secured spot in any team. The last team he played in the NBA was in 2021 when he was called for another 10-day deal with the Los Angeles Lakers. During that time, he only acted as a proxy for injured players.
Last year, Thomas suited up for various minor leagues like Jamal Crawford’s The CRAWSOEVER Pro-Am League. There, he created a stellar performance and scored a ridiculous 81 points. Moreover, he also played for the Denver Nuggets’ G-League affiliate team (Grand Rapids Gold). He averaged a superb 43.1 ppg.
This year, Thomas hasn’t signed any contract in the NBA or other leagues yet.
The 34-year-old point guard is still actively looking to play again in the NBA. In his social media accounts, you could see him still grinding and working out. His recent stint with the G-League and other leagues proved he still got a lot of gas left in his tank. Alongside the likes of DeMarcus Cousins, Dwight Howard, and Carmelo Anthony, I.T. is one of the veterans still wanting to return to the NBA.
Do you believe that Isaiah Thomas still deserves to be in the NBA? Feel free to share your thoughts in the comments below. For more content, stay with us, here at Spiel Times.
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