Los Angeles Lakers: Isaiah Thomas unconcerned with hip headed into free agency
Despite undergoing season-ending surgery in late March, Isaiah Thomas is still feeling confident going into the summer.
Los Angeles Lakers point guard Isaiah Thomas will be among the team’s free agents this summer. At the time being, saying that the next chapter of Thomas’ career is a mystery would be putting it tenderly.
Around this point last year, many believed that Thomas would be worthy of a max contract. It makes sense given that he averaged nearly 29 points a night for the Boston Celtics in 2016-2017. Additionally, the two-time All-Star registered about six dimes a game.
However, in last year’s Eastern Conference Finals, the 5-foot-9 ballplayer suffered a crushing blow. In Game Two, Thomas injured his right hip, forcing him to miss the rest of the series.
Since that injury occurred, Thomas’ basketball career has certainly been different. The 29-year-old Laker has gone from a genuine MVP candidate to a player whose future is unknown. Such a pairing of words may seem strange, but they are all too real.
It is key to point out that the same injury never fully healed this year. During his stint with the Cleveland Cavaliers, Thomas never looked like his old self. While he did play better in a Lakers jersey, IT3 only showed glimpses of his vintage form.
That factor is the main reason many are unsure about where Thomas will play after this season. His health has been a concern for close to a year, and, while there is no denying his talent, 2017-2018 has not been reflective of what it means to be an All-Star.
Recently, though, Thomas called his time with L.A. a “success,” via Bill Oram of The Orange County Register. In Oram’s piece, Thomas said a bit more about what he thought of his Lakers’ tenure.
"“I feel like I played pretty well,” Thomas said. “I could always play better, but at the same time, I showed people that I can still play at a high level given the opportunity.”"
Without a doubt, I.T. still played a high level with the purple and gold. As time progressed, it was easy to see that Thomas started to regain confidence in his jump shot. At the same time, Thomas has never had the explosiveness he did while in Boston.
Unfortunately, late in March, Thomas had to have surgery on the same hip that affected him last season. According to Oram’s article, the point guard admitted that the pain he felt last year never vanished entirely.
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"“I was very sore,” Thomas said. “I was continuing to play and I was just sore and the soreness wasn’t going away.”"
It is sad provided that he was one of the league’s top players just a year ago. As was alluded to earlier, Thomas was bound to earn a maximum contract after this season subsides. Despite that, the odds of that occurring now are slim at best.
At the same time, this does not mean the former Cavalier is not worth a look. In 17 contests with the Lakers, the fourth quarter specialist averaged 15.6 points and five assists. Therefore, assuming he is 100 percent after he recovers from surgery, the Lakers or anyone else would have a decent playmaker on their roster.
It is also critical to bear in mind that Thomas brings leadership to the table. Oram discussed that because the Lakers are so young, the injection of Thomas gave them someone to look up to.
In spite of those positive elements, re-signing Thomas would be a risk for the Lakers. Thomas, on the other hand, is not worried about free agency, via Chris Barnewall of CBS Sports.
"“The results will show that the surgery only fixed it,” [Thomas] said. “The world knew that I never got my labrum fixed when I was going through that and trying to heal on my own. … The decision that I made it felt like it was the best decision for me personally, individually, as a basketball player for the rest of my career.”"
Barnewall brought up an interesting point later in his piece unrelated to Thomas’ hip. While teams will be focused on Thomas’ rehab from injury, they will also pay attention to the kind of role the 29-year-old is willing to accept.
Teams would conceivably be okay with signing Thomas if he is fine with accepting a lesser role. During his Lakers’ tenure, he did just that in being their sixth man. However, it is fair to imagine Thomas will want to be a starter next year, especially if his hip recuperates properly.
Even if it does recuperate, starting may be a tall order depending on where he goes. Thomas has never been the greatest defender, to say the least. That in itself will cause teams to exercise caution.
Thus, what teams will be willing to give him is hard to determine. The ball is largely in Thomas’ court—that is for sure. Let alone getting better, his future may lean on whether he is okay with making a sacrifice.
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Granted the goal is to, indeed, get that hip “fixed,” Thomas is going to need to be practical. While it is promising that his confidence is sky high, the Lakers among others are probably not going to give him the ideal amount of money he wants.