Lance Thomas Becomes 18th Former Blue Devil in NBA Restart

2010 champion signs with Nets

Former Duke Blue Devil Lance Thomas will return to the NBA when the season resumes in the Orlando Bubble.

The Brooklyn Nets signed Thomas as a Substitute Player after Michael Beasley became the eighth player to test positive for coronavirus.

The 32-year-old Thomas last played on April 5, 2019, near the end of the Knicks regular season last year. He went to training camp with the Brooklyn Nets this season but was released prior to the start of the season.

After finishing his Duke career with a national title in 2010, Thomas worked his way to the NBA through the NBA Developmental League. He has played eight seasons in the NBA, averaging 5.2 ppg and 2.6 rebounds in 392 career games with New Orleans, Oklahoma City and New York.

The Nets are currently the No. 7 seed in the East. They have a six-game lead over the ninth-place Wizards, with eight regular seasons to play. Thomas has never played in the postseason in his NBA career.

Thomas will be the eighteenth former Blue Devil to play in the NBA’s Orlando Bubble restart.

New Orleans features Brandon Ingram, Frank Jackson, JJ Redick, Jahlil Okafor and Zion Williamson, who left the team for a family emergency but is expected back. Sacramento has Marvin Bagley III, Harry Giles and Jabari Parker, who has begun practice after testing positive for the virus several weeks earlier.

Memphis has Grayson Allen, Justise Winslow and Tyus Jones.

Boston’s Jayson Tatum, the Lakers’ Quinn Cook, Portland’s Gary Trent Jr., Denver’s Mason Plumlee, Houston’s Austin Rivers and Dallas’ Seth Curry will also participate.

Semi Ojeleye, who started his college career at Duke but transferred, is also playing for the Celtics.

Brooklyn’s Kyrie Irving and Portland’s Rodney Hood are injured and not expected to participate.

The Knicks’ RJ Barrett, Bulls’ Wendell Carter Jr., Pistons’ Luke Kennard and Hawks’ Cam Reddish play for teams who didn’t qualify for the league’s restart, because they were out of playoff contention.