Isaiah Thomas will only have one year left on his contract entering next season. However, after the season he just had there's an expectation for him to receive a contract extension sooner rather than later. Thomas has only been making $6.75 million a year on his current deal, which means his next contract should be a big pay raise.
Thomas is OK with putting that raise on hold though. He said he's much more interested in increasing the talent on the roster and winning games. If that means he has to wait a year before his big payday then he's OK with that.
"We need the best possible player that's gonna help us win, and I'm with that," said Thomas. "Anything Danny and this organization need me to do to help bring even more talent to this city, I'm all for that. I want to win a championship and being so close to getting to the Finals, that makes you want it that much more.
"I'm all help if they need it. I'll be around."
If Thomas signs an extension now he'd surely get the max, or at least something close to it. However, he also must realize that as good as Boston was this season they still weren't good enough. Cleveland disposed of them pretty easily and the Celtics need some more talent to raise them to the next level. With Thomas waiting to sign an extension they'll have a better shot at making moves this summer.
That said, Thomas might not want to give Boston the courtesy of waiting. If he has a down season next year, or gets hurt, he could potentially lose out on money he'd be making this summer. While it's nice that he wants to be a team player and help the organization win, he needs to make sure to get his first. The NBA doesn't always show that same level of loyalty that Thomas is showing.
