What a whirlwind the past few years must have been for Isaiah Thomas. He has been a solid NBA player at every step of his pro career. Nonetheless, the former Washington Huskies star has found himself bouncing around the league. Three years ago, he played for the guard-loaded Phoenix Suns, who inexplicably dealt him to the Boston Celtics for pennies at the last moment before the trade deadline.
Thomas went to Boston, blossomed into an MVP candidate, and played through an agonizing hip injury. Then Boston traded him — this time to Eastern Conference rival Cleveland. IT was never a great fit in Cleveland, and as a result he was traded again at this year’s trade deadline — to the Lakers.
That’s the end of his recent transaction history — for now. But he may move on to a new team this offseason, as his contract expires. Thomas was just starting to find his groove with the Lakers, but now it appears he may have suffered a setback, as Lakers beat reporter Mike Trudell reports.
Isaiah Thomas is not with the Lakers today, as he is going to New York to evaluate options for his hip. He missed last game due to soreness in the hip, and was ruled out of tonight’s game previously.
— Mike Trudell (@LakersReporter) March 26, 2018
Thomas has never made more than $7.2 million in a season. Before his trades to the Cavaliers and Lakers, pundits considered him a max-contract candidate. At this point, who knows his worth? He’ll likely have to gamble on himself and accept a one-year contract. The end of this season and whether he continues to play through what looks like an ongoing hip injury will almost certainly impact the richness of his next deal.
Thomas elected not to have surgery before this season. The injury may force him to have surgery this coming offseason if it continues to linger.
