Isaiah Thomas playing in the G League. GRAND RAPIDS GOLD PHOTO
Isaiah Thomas signed a 10-day contract with the Los Angeles Lakers on Thursday, mere days after he joined a G League team in a comeback effort, The Athletic reported.
The Lakers are signing Thomas under the hardship exemption, with the news reported shortly before it was revealed the team placed its starting backcourt of Russell Westbrook and Avery Bradley in COVID-19 protocols. Talen Horton-Tucker, Dwight Howard and Malik Monk were placed in protocols earlier this week.
Thomas signed with the Grand Rapids Gold, the G League affiliate of the Denver Nuggets, on Monday and scored 42 points in his team debut Wednesday.
Isaiah Thomas was nothing short of AMAZING tonight. 🙏 @isaiahthomas
42 points | 8 assists | 6 rebounds | 5 3PT pic.twitter.com/qBO1IelI0f
— NBA G League (@nbagleague) December 16, 2021
Thomas also posted eight assists, six rebounds and two steals in the game. He made 16 of 30 shots, including 5 of 14 from 3-point range.
The two-time All-Star guard played in only three NBA games last season, averaging 7.7 points per game with the New Orleans Pelicans.
An All-NBA second-team selection in the 2016-17 season, Thomas enjoyed the best playing days of his career with the Celtics. In 179 appearances for Boston (2014-17), Thomas averaged 24.7 points, 6.0 assists and 2.7 rebounds per game while shooting 44.3 percent from the floor and 36.8 percent from behind the 3-point arc.
Off and on, the 5-foot-9 guard has battled a hip injury since being traded away from Boston in 2017 in a deal with the Cleveland Cavaliers that sent Kyrie Irving to the Celtics.
It will be Thomas’ second stint with the Lakers. Cleveland traded Thomas to the Lakers in 2018 and he finished the season with them, averaging 15.6 points and 5.0 assists over 17 games.
Thomas will be the latest high-profile name the Lakers have brought in, joining LeBron James, Anthony Davis, Westbrook, Carmelo Anthony and Howard. His former Celtics teammate, Rajon Rondo, is also on the team.