Getty LeBron James with Isaiah Thomas.
There was a brief time when Isaiah Thomas was one of the best players in the NBA. Back in 2017, he finished fifth in MVP voting after averaging 28.9 points a game for the Boston Celtics. Unfortunately, a devastating hip injury derailed his career and he’s had a difficult time staying on a roster since.
Recently, Thomas made headlines by dropping 81 points pro-am event. That game caught the attention of many, including the Los Angeles Lakers, according to Marc Stein. The team could be interested in adding the former All-Star guard this offseason. Interestingly enough, before Stein’s report dropped, LeBron James sent a message to Thomas on Twitter regarding his 81-point performance.
It could merely be a coincidence as LeBron and Thomas did briefly play together on the Cleveland Cavaliers. However, the timing is certainly interesting. LeBron knows everything the Lakers plan to do and they would certainly consult him before they targeted one of his former teammates. It’ll be interesting to see if Thomas ends up in Los Angeles in the near future.
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LeBron Didn’t Have the Best Time With Thomas in Cleveland
When Thomas got traded to Cleveland, he was coming off a hip injury and was part of the Kyrie Irving deal. He was always going to have a hard time living up to Irving after that injury. His stint with the Cavaliers didn’t go well. He only averaged 14.7 points a game and was traded after just 15 games.
Thomas was quickly traded to the Lakers and wasn’t retained after the season. Last season, he only played in three games for the New Orleans Pelicans. What Thomas has going against him is that he’s 32-years-old and 5-foot-9. There isn’t a ton of upside in a possible signing. That said, he clearly still has scoring ability so it could be worth taking a shot.
According to Stein, Thomas’ previous stint with LeBron won’t have any effect on whether or not the Lakers sign him.
“Although the Lakers have already traded for Russell Westbrook, and then signed Carmelo Anthony and Dwight Howard to join LeBron James and Anthony Davis in a locker room teeming with current and former All-Stars, sources say that the Lakers do not regard Thomas’ bumpy stint alongside James in Cleveland during the first half of the 2017-18 season as a deterrent,” Stein wrote. “The larger question is whether Thomas is the best candidate for an end-of-the-roster role.”
Should Lakers Sign Thomas?
With how the Lakers have constructed their current roster, it’s hard to see why they’d want Thomas. They have plenty of veteran scorers and he’s not a particularly great shooter. He’s made 36.3% of his threes over his career. The Lakers would be wiser to use that last roster spot on an athletic big, a shooter or a player like Jared Dudley who has been around the team.
That said, it certainly wouldn’t hurt to sign Thomas. He wouldn’t be in the rotation much and would see limited minutes. If the Lakers feel like they just want to help the veteran out, there are worse players they could target.
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Lakers’ LeBron James Sends Message to Isaiah Thomas Amid Rumors