It appears that the saga with Isaiah Thomas' hip is unfortunately still not over. The Los Angeles Lakers announced early on Wednesday afternoon that Thomas is scheduled to undergo arthroscopic hip surgery on Thursday. There is currently no timeline for his recovery.
MEDICAL UPDATE: Isaiah Thomas will undergo arthroscopic surgery to his right hip tomorrow, it was announced today.
— Los Angeles Lakers (@Lakers) March 28, 2018
An update will be provided following the completion of the surgery. pic.twitter.com/uA7sN5cOSM
The good news, is that according to Thomas' doctor, the procedure will be "minimally invasive" and is meant to "clean up" the hip joint from inflammatory debris.
In a statement received by ESPN on Isaiah Thomas, Dr. Bryan Kelly of the Hospital for Special Surgery in NYC says: "We will be doing a minimally invasive procedure to "clean up" the joint of all inflammatory debris related to his injury from last season."
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) March 28, 2018
Thomas has not played for the Lakers since March 22 due to pain in his hip that was not subsiding.
Thomas, of course, sat out the first half of the season with the Cavaliers, not suiting up until Jan. 2 due to the hip injury he suffered last season with the Celtics. He opted not to have surgery for that injury, instead deciding to use only rehab to heal his hip.
While it's good news that this surgery is only to "clean up" his hip instead of a major operation, it's still a tough blow for the guard, who was expecting a huge deal in free agency this summer. Now, Thomas will likely have to settle for signing a one-year deal with a team in order to prove himself again.
According to a report from Adrian Wojnarowski, that could be with the Lakers depending on how their plans go in free agency. Via ESPN:
Lakers coach Luke Walton and the front office have been encouraged with Thomas' fit with the team, and Walton felt he's had a positive impact on the younger players, team sources told ESPN. However, the examination of his health and recovery will be paramount for any team deciding on making a contractual commitment to him.
Because of the ongoing issues with his hip, Thomas is unlikely to get a significant long-term financial commitment on the free-agent market. The Lakers represent the possibility of a bridge season to show his ability to return to health and a high-level of performance.
The Lakers reportedly like Thomas' fit with the team, and how he has impacted the young players, but they are going after some big fish this summer, namely LeBron James and Paul George. But should that plan fall through it's possible Thomas re-signs in Los Angeles.
