Former Boston Celtics MVP candidate Isaiah Thomas has found a new NBA team. The Athletic’s Shams Charania reported via his X account that Thomas has signed a 10-Day Contract with the Phoenix Suns.
IT is back: 11-year vet and two-time All-Star Isaiah Thomas is planning to sign a 10-day contract with the Phoenix Suns, sources tell @TheAthletic @Stadium. Thomas averaged 33 points on 45 percent 3-point shooting for Salt Lake City in the NBA G League, scoring 30 in four games.
Charania also explained what convinced the Suns to sign Thomas.
“Thomas totaled performances of 32, 30, 34, and 34 points in his four G League games for Salt Lake City, making 25 of 56 three-pointers, and now is set to provide shooting, playoff experience, and veteran leadership to the Suns,” Charania wrote via his X account.
This is not the first time Thomas has played for the Suns, as he played for them during the 2014-15 season. However, the Suns traded him to the Celtics mid-season in 2015, which paved the way for Thomas to have his breakthrough as a player.
In the two and a half seasons he played in Boston, Thomas became an MVP candidate, finishing fifth in MVP voting in 2017.
This will be Thomas’s first NBA game since 2022 when he played for the Hornets.
Isaiah Thomas Shouts Out Danny Ainge & Boston
After Thomas made his debut for the Salt Lake City Stars, he thanked former Celtics President of Basketball Operations Danny Ainge for giving him the opportunity.
.@BGlobeSports video. I asked Isaiah Thomas whether he noticed Joe Mazzulla and his staff watching his @nbagleague game. He then reflected on his time with the #Celtics.
“We chopped it up a few times,” Thomas told reporters, per The Boston Globe’s Gary Washburn’s X account. “Danny, he helped make this thing happen. He connected the dots. (Stars general manager) Marquis (Newman) welcomed me in with open arms. They’re just letting me be me, and I’m just super thankful.”
Thomas added that he still has a lot of love for Boston as a city. He still remembers his time with Boston fondly despite how it all ended.
“It’s real love,” Thomas said. “That Boston love is real. No matter what happened in the past, all those guys communicate with me still. I’m always locked in on Celtics games. That was a big part of my life. That was a really important time in my life, as well. It’s always going to be love for everyone in that organization that was a helping hand to me and my family. I appreciate the support.”
Celtics Urged to Reunite With Isaiah Thomas
Though Thomas has signed with the Suns, it’s only a 10-day contract. Thomas could hit the open market once it expires. If he does, NBC Sports Boston’s John Tomase explained why the Celtics should bring him back.
“This is certainly the emotional heart talking instead of the rational brain, and there are a million reasons it won’t happen, but I can’t be alone in wishing for it,” Tomase wrote in a March 13 story. “With an open spot at the end of the roster and diminishing options for filling it, why not give Thomas the Boston sendoff he deserves?”
Tomase added that Thomas should be rewarded for his efforts since it was him who kickstarted the Celtics’ success.
“If the Celtics deliver on their promise and win a ring this year, it will be the culmination of an effort stretching back a decade with multiple triumphs and heartbreaks along the way. Thomas offered some of each himself, so let’s not forget the role he played in the franchise’s rebirth.
“Better yet, let’s reward it.”
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Ex-Celtics MVP Candidate Isaiah Thomas Signs With West Contender