After two long years, Isaiah Thomas finally won a NBA spot again. Thomas agreed to a 10-day contract with the Phoenix Suns SATURDAY, according to Shams Charania. Thomas last played in the NBA during the 2021-22 season with the Charlotte Frelons.
Thomas, now 35, recently began playing professionally again with the Salt Lake City Stars in the G League. He put up huge numbers, scoring at least 30 points in all four of his games, averaging 32.5 points and 5.3 assists. Most notably, he went 25 of 56 (44.6%) from 3-point land.
Although Thomas is more of a scorer than a playmaker, he is a true playmaker, something the Suns have lacked throughout the season. Additionally, he remains a knockdown shooter from the perimeter, and the Suns are 26th in the league in 3-point attempts per game (32). As a defender who can run an offense and space the floor, Thomas could still be a useful player down the stretch.
No matter how much he plays or how long his return lasts, it’s a testament to Thomas’ work ethic and mindset that he got another chance. It would have been easy for him to seek a final paycheck overseas or simply leave the game at this point, but he refused to do so.
“I love this shit so much” Thomas explained in an interview with The Athletic earlier this month. But above all, he continued for his children.
“I don’t want them to hit a wall in life and give up,” Thomas said. “They’re really seeing me and watching my every move right now, so it’s like even if I wanted to, I couldn’t give up. I still have a few years left at least. I’m going to pursue whatever I can , give the game everything I can. And I know, even if it has nothing to do with sports [but] just life in general, it helps my kids and it’s going to help another kid who’s going through real things that they can’t control. That’s the most important thing. I know I’m helping my kids, but if I can help one person with what they’re going through, that’s my job. And I did it.”
Thomas’ frequent social media posts, which bordered on begging for a job, became a source of amusement in recent years, but his desire to return to the top level and his “never give up mentality” were at the same time admirable.
