Well, that was short-lived. Just one day after making his G-League debut, the Los Angeles Lakers have signed point guard Isaiah Thomas to a 10-day contract according to Shams Charania of The Athletic. It will be the second time Thomas has been a Laker in his 11-year NBA career, after playing 17 games with them in the 2018-18 season.
Though the Lakers don’t have an open roster spot, they are currently without several players due to them going through the league’s health and safety protocols. With guards Talen Horton-Tucker and Malik Monk unavailable, they decided to boost their point guard depth for their next few games. Trevor Ariza and Kendrick Nunn also have yet to play this season, adding to their lack of depth in the backcourt.
The Lakers were granted a hardship exemption, due to missing so many players. With the exemption, it allows them a chance to get a glimpse of Isaiah Thomas again in the NBA.
Thomas, a two-time NBA All-Star, experienced the height of his success with the Boston Celtics from 2015-17 before they traded him to the Cleveland Cavaliers for Kyrie Irving. Thomas has since bounced around, to the Lakers, Denver Nuggets, Washington Wizards, and New Orleans Pelicans. He came into the league with the Sacramento Kings as the 60th overall selection in the 2011 NBA Draft.
In his career, Thomas has averaged 18.1 PPG, 4.9 APG, 0.9 SPG, while shooting 43.5% from the floor and 36.3% from three-point land.
By the way, Thomas didn’t just make his debut, he scored 42 points for the Grand Rapids Gold while hitting 16-of-30 shots. Thomas also added six rebounds, eight assists, and two steals in the game. We’ll see what he’s got left in the tank against NBA competition soon enough. The Lakers’ next game is against the Minnesota Timberwolves, taking place on Friday on ESPN.
