Inside The Celtics

Los Angeles Lakers Sign Isaiah Thomas

A day after scoring 42 points in his NBA G League debut, Isaiah Thomas is signing a 10-day contract with the Los Angeles Lakers, per Shams Charania of The Athletic.

Bobby Krivitsky

Stephen Lew-USA TODAY Sports

A day after scoring 42 points in his NBA G League debut, Isaiah Thomas is signing with the Los Angeles Lakers, per Shams Charania of The Athletic.

Suiting up for the Denver Nuggets' G League affiliate, the Grand Rapids Gold, Thomas, who underwent a resurfacing procedure on his hip last year, demonstrated a more explosive burst than he has since his name was in the MVP conversation in 2017. That, along with the sharp angles he tends to take on his drives, helped him consistently knife through the defense and get to the rim, where he's a high-level finisher.

Furthermore, Thomas' shooting touch was on display. It wasn't just that he buried five shots from beyond the arc, but he was doing so off the dribble, off the catch, and generating points from the mid-range, highlighting that perhaps he can still be a three-level scorer at the game's highest echelon, even if it now comes in a role off the bench.

In an interview with Stadium, leading up to his G League debut, Thomas told Charania: "I know at some point, a team's going to call and is going to give me that chance, and I'm going to take full advantage of it and run with it."

Considering how quickly Thomas earned this opportunity to return to the NBA, doing so after one G League game and before the G League Winter Showcase even begins, perhaps even he's surprised by the speed with which this is happening.

As encouraging as Thomas' performance was, it's only one game, and it came against a defense that was suspect. However, with Russell Westbrook, Avery Bradley, Talen Horton-Tucker, and Malik Monk in health and safety protocols, per ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski, I.T. figures to get a chance to prove himself. Furthermore, Kendrick Nunn isn't expected back until January, and Rajon Rondo hasn't played in ten of the Lakers' last 11 games.

How quickly he suits up for the purple and gold isn't clear, but the Lakers' next game is on the road Friday night against the Minnesota Timberwolves. After that, they travel to Chicago to face the Bulls on Sunday before returning home to host the Phoenix Suns on Tuesday.

Further Reading

Should the Celtics Trade for Buddy Hield? 

Utah Jazz Name Danny Ainge Alternate Governor, CEO of Basketball Operations 

What Stood Out in Celtics' Win Over Bucks 

The Latest On Dennis Schroder's Future with the Celtics 

Jayson Tatum Makes a Major Announcement 

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Bobby Krivitsky
BOBBY KRIVITSKY

Bobby Krivitsky's experiences include covering the NBA as a credentialed reporter for Basketball Insiders. He's also a national sports talk host for SportsMap Radio, a network airing on 96 radio stations throughout the country. Additionally, he was a major-market host, update anchor, and producer for IMG Audio, and he worked for Bleacher Report as an NFL and NBA columnist.

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