Isaiah Thomas had strong interest in signing with Lakers as free agent
Firebug point guard would have been second-best player on the team had the Lakers not waited for Carmelo Anthony and the pipedream of a superstar.
By
Matt Moore
•
1 min read
Phoenix Suns point guard Isaiah Thomas confirmed to Grantland that he had a strong interest in signing with the Los Angeles Lakers in free agency this summer, but the team waited too long as it pursued Carmelo Anthony, who wound up quickly re-signing with the Knicks, and Thomas moved on.
I heard you had a strong interest in signing with the Lakers.
Yeah, I did.
But they had to wait out Carmelo and LeBron. And now there’s a lot of talk about players not wanting to play with Kobe. What appealed to you about the Lakers?
First off, it’s the Los Angeles Lakers. Who wouldn’t want to play for them? Second off, I felt like they always needed a point guard — a small guard like myself. I always envisioned myself playing with the Lakers, but like you said, they were waiting on Carmelo and other moves. The Suns came out of nowhere and showed a lot of interest, and I fell in love with them.
via Q&A: Isaiah Thomas on the Suns, U-Dub Love, and Sweating Out the Draft «.
Well, this is a total disaster. Thomas would be the second-best player behind Kobe Bryant on that team, and would give them a little bit of nearly everything they need except defense, and even then he's at least a willing defender.
Missing out on Thomas is a huge mistake, especially given the sweetheart deal the Suns got him for. The Lakers could have had a guy who would have been ready to be a part of a contending team when the Lakers found their next superstar. Yes, it would have eaten into the cap, but not enough to keep them from being able to make a big play for an alpha dog.
Was chasing Melo worth it? It's easy to say no, now, given that the team failed to get him and was never in serious talks with the Lakers, only the Bulls and Knicks. But they couldn't risk signing Isaiah Thomas and then having to tell their fanbase they couldn't get Anthony because of him.
That said, good Lord, could they use him now.
