Isaiah Thomas is getting a fresh start after being dealt to the Lakers hours before the trade deadline. His tenure with the Cavaliers was a disaster in every way and he clearly needed a new situation. He needed a place where he could work his way back from a hip injury. The Lakers, in a desire to clear cap space, were willing to give him that chance.

However, they're not going to throw Thomas into the fire immediately. According to ESPN, the Lakers plan to bring Thomas off the bench for at least the beginning of his tenure in L.A. If everything goes well, he'll then have a chance to be moved into the starting lineup.

Isaiah Thomas will come off the bench when he makes his Los Angeles Lakers debut ‪Saturday night against the Dallas Mavericks, league sources told ESPN. 

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The plan is for Thomas to eventually work himself into position to join the starting five, according to sources.  

Thomas will probably not be happy about this, but it's for the best. He established himself as a starting-caliber point guard with the Celtics, but his hip injury changed everything. He didn't look like himself in Cleveland and the Lakers don't want to repeat that mistake. Their plan is to bring him along slower.

It's very possible Thomas can enter the starting lineup toward the end of the season and maybe play his way into a decent contract. His current deal will expire at the end of the season and he's probably lost out on a lot of money after the Cleveland disaster -- which must be a disappointment for Thomas after he was set to sign a huge deal after his incredible season in Boston.