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It's been a long road back for veteran guard Isaiah Thomas. After establishing himself as one of the NBA's top scoring threats, injuries have limited him to playing sparingly the past four seasons. Finally healthy, the 32-year-old has been working to get another chance.
After an impressive performance Wednesday night in his G-League debut, Isaiah Thomas has found that next opportunity. According to a report from NBA Insider Shams Charania of The Athletic, the LA Lakers have signed Thomas to a 10-day contract under the hardship exemption.
The move comes as Russell Westbrook became the latest Laker to enter health and safety protocols for COVID, according to a subsequent report from Charania. Los Angeles could use the scoring punch and depth Thomas might be able to provide. Dwight Howard, Talen Horton-Tucker and Malik Monk were already in the protocols.
The move is a rapid promotion for Thomas, a two-time All-Star who signed a contract with the G-League's Grand Rapids Gold earlier this week.
Isaiah Thomas getting another chance in the NBA
Thomas, who appeared in three games last season with the New Orleans Pelicans, was an All-Star in 2016 and again 2017, when he averaged 28.9 points per game for the Boston Celtics. Since then, he played 32 games with two teams in 2017-18, 12 in 2018-19 with the Denver Nuggets and 40 in 2019-20 with the Washington Wizards.
He had 23 points across three April appearances for the Pels.
After putting in a serious amount of time to get his body right, Thomas didn't take long to make a statement in his G-League debut, dropping 42 points to go with eight assists and six rebounds.
With the Los Angeles roster so thin, it's wise to add a veteran. Although Thomas signed a 10-day contract, there's going to be potential for him to earn a permanent spot with the team. The Lakers are going to need to find some depth, and Thomas still has the upside to be a dangerous addition off the bench.
It wasn't long ago when the 5-foot-9 Thomas regularly wowed fans. At his best, Thomas, who turns 33 in February, was an energetic, dynamic scoring weapon who could fill box scores in a hurry. His most impressive season came in 2016-17 with the Boston Celtics.
Since then, Thomas has been hindered by injuries, but there's a chance he could rekindle his NBA career if he can help out the Lakers in a big way.
