Getty Isaiah Thomas of the Dallas Mavericks.
Former Dallas Mavericks guard Isaiah Thomas is hoping to land on an NBA team by the end of this season.
During a recent interview with Heavy Sports‘ Steve Bulpett, Thomas explained that he’s been working hard to ensure he’s ready when the phone rings.
“Steady on the grind. Staying ready. Hopefully something coming on my phone soon,” Thomas said. “But you know me, I’m just taking care of the family and staying in the gym. I’m just staying ready, staying as positive as I can during this situation. Obviously I still want to play in the NBA, so I’m going to work for that until I can’t.”
He later added that he’s been in contact with two teams over the last few weeks and is hoping to hear back soon.
“I’ve been talking to two teams the last couple of weeks,” Thomas revealed. “Hopefully they make a decision by the end of this week or early next week. But I’ve been in contact with teams monthly.”
While Thomas could likely sign overseas, that isn’t goal. He told Bulpett that he ultimately wants an NBA jersey.
“So that’s the thing with me, like, I know it’s close; I just have to find the team that really wants me to be on board and me to help in any situation possible. My agency and my representatives are just trying to figure it out. Obviously there’s a lot of overseas interest, but that’s just not even on my mind right now, so I don’t even want to dip into that. My ultimate goal is to have an NBA jersey. That’s all I want.”
Thomas had a short stint with the Mavericks last season. He appeared in just one game, scoring 6 points in 13 minutes.
The 34-year-old’s strongest NBA season was in 2016-17, when he was playing for the Boston Celtics. That year, Thomas was fifth in MVP voting, after averaging 28.9 points, 5.9 assists, and 2.7 rebounds per game, while shooting 46.3% from the field and 37.9% from beyond the arc.
Jason Kidd Blames Health for Mavs’ Struggles
While Thomas is hoping to get back into the league, the Mavericks are hoping to make the playoffs.
Dallas has lost 9-of-12, which has slid them down the Western Conference standings. They’re sitting in ninth place with a record of 34-35.
After his team’s recent loss to the Memphis Grizzlies, head coach Jason Kidd chalked up the lingering struggles to lack of health.
“Just understand, our health – this is what we have, these are the cards we’re dealt,” Kidd said via the Dallas Mavericks YouTube channel. “Just like anybody in this league, we’ve got to play with the cards that we had tonight. We played a good half of basketball with a young backcourt that’s learning how to play the NBA game. Put that in perspective against a very good defensive team.”
Jason Kidd on Mavs’ Skid: ‘No One is Dying’
Kidd went on to add that if his team isn’t able to make a deep-run in the playoffs, then it’s not a big deal, as “no one is dying.”
“Understand, we’re getting better – it’s just a matter of can we be healthy in time to make a stretch run?” he asked. “If not, that’s just the season. No one is dying.”