Isiah Thomas has joined a G League team and is looking to return to the NBA.
Thomas, 35, is scheduled to sign with the Salt Lake City Stars, the Jazz’s G League affiliate. Reported by Shams Charania of The Athletic..
A hip injury in 2017 hampered the two-time All-Star’s career, and he struggled to sign a contract after the 2019-20 season.
Thomas, an 11-year NBA veteran, had his best seasons with the Celtics from 2015 to 2017, averaging 24.7 points, 2.7 rebounds and 6.0 assists in three seasons with Boston.
He signed a 10-day contract with the Pelicans during the 2020-21 season, appearing in three games during that span.
The following season, Thomas bounced back and had brief stints with the Lakers, Mavericks, and Hornets.
His longest tenure was with Charlotte that season, where he appeared in 17 games and averaged 8.3 points, shooting 43.3 percent from the field and 39.7 percent from 3-point range.
He remains unsigned for the 2022-23 season and was not added to an NBA roster this season.
Thomas already has ties to the Jazz organization in current team CEO Danny Ainge, who was an executive in Boston when Thomas had the best season of his career.
During that time, Thomas was a two-time All-Star, made the All-NBA second team, and was part of the Celtics’ team that reached the Eastern Conference Finals in 2017.
In an interview with Charania last May, Thomas said he feels like his old self.
“I’m back 100 percent, nothing compared to where I was five years ago when I was in Boston, but I feel the same.”Obviously, I haven’t played as much the last few years, so it hasn’t put a lot of stress on my body.” No,” Thomas said.
“I’m willing to do whatever it takes. I love the game of basketball. I want to continue my career in the NBA and that’s my ultimate goal,” he said.
