For Isaiah Thomas, the time is now. The recently acquired Los Angeles Lakers guard will have his contract expire at the end of the season and he has to do what he can to convince teams that he still has some of the magic in him that he showed with the Boston Celtics last season.
A hip injury and eventual trade to the Cleveland Cavaliers last summer robbed Thomas of much of the momentum he had gained. Now, with a new lease on life with the Lakers, Thomas has just a few months before free agency begins.
He explained his mindset on the upcoming summer, making a connection to when he entered the NBA Draft, via Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPN:
“All you need is one team to love you,” Thomas said. “It’s like the draft all over again. You just need one team. So that is all I am doing and working toward. Until then, I am focused on doing whatever I can to make this the best team possible.
“My résumé speaks for itself. What I can do on the basketball floor speaks for itself. I can’t do nothing but control what I can control, and that is taking advantage of any opportunity that I am given and playing my heart out. But come July, I got to weigh my options to do what is best for myself and my family.”
While Thomas will be free to sign with any team, he did recently state that he hopes to stay with the Lakers long-term.
Of course, that may be easier said than done, given that the Lakers are rumored to have eyes on Paul George and LeBron James this summer. Additionally, Los Angeles must determine what to do with Julius Randle, who will be a restricted free agent but is having a breakout season.
While these things do complicate the situation for Thomas, if the Lakers don’t land a pair of stars this summer, it wouldn’t be surprising to see him re-signed. After all, Thomas believes his presence has impacted how well the team has played of late.
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