NBA veteran Isaiah Thomas could return to the big stage for the first time in two years.
The 35-year-old plans to sign a 10-day contract with the Phoenix Suns, Shams Charania of The Athletic reported. reported Saturday.
Thomas made his most recent NBA appearance with the Charlotte Hornets in April 2022. He played in 17 games for the Hornets, averaging 8.3 points in 12.9 minutes per game. His stay in Charlotte marked the end of a 22-game stretch in which he also played for the Los Angeles Lakers and Dallas Mavericks. All three periods began with separate 10-day contracts.
The latest deal comes after the former Boston Celtics All-Star signed with the Salt Lake City Stars, the Utah Jazz's G League affiliate, earlier this month. He averaged 32.5 points in four games, adding 5.3 assists, 3.3 rebounds and 1.3 steals.
He put up his most recent 30-point performance hours before the news dropped, scoring 34 points Saturday in a Stars win.
Thomas' NBA career, which began with the Sacramento Kings in 2011, hit a snag when he suffered a hip injury while playing for the Celtics in 2017. He opted to continue playing despite hip pain and loss. of his younger sister during the playoffs, helping the team reach the Eastern Conference Finals that postseason.
In those playoffs, Thomas scored 33 points in the East semifinals despite losing a tooth in the elbow of then-Washington Wizard Otto Porter Jr.s. The dental emergency did not immediately affect Thomas, as he scored 53 points against the Wizards in the next game. He was ultimately ruled out for the remainder of the postseason and then sent to the Cavaliers in the Kyrie Irving trade.
He lost his trademark speed after the hip injury and had stops with the Wizards, Denver Nuggets and New Orleans Pelicans. He was unsigned when the 2021-22 season began, hence his series of 10-day contracts.
After scoring 34 points in the Stars' victory on Tuesday, he spoke about his desire to continue striving to return to the NBA.
“I love this shit too much,” Thomas said. The Atlético. “I had some tough years where sometimes you just feel like quitting because it's too much. But I always say that's the easiest thing to do. So I stayed there, continued to trust the process and continued to enjoy the journey. Whether it's ups or downs, I'm back to playing basketball. I have returned healthy. “It's a great feeling because I never thought I could play without pain.”
