Isaiah Thomas' second stint with the Los Angeles Lakers has come to an end. The veteran guard signed a 10-day contract with the Lakers earlier this month, but that deal is now up and the two sides won't be inking another contract, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic. Thomas will become a free agent and is expected to receive interest from multiple teams.
In four appearances for the Lakers this season, Thomas averaged 9.3 points, 4.9 assists and 2.4 rebounds in 25.3 minutes of action. He had an impressive 19-point performance in his first game back that showed that he is still capable of putting the ball in the basket:
"They really cheered for me, and this is an away game," Thomas, 32, said after that game. "Those moments mean more to me than anything, because people respect what I do, people respect the grind I'm on. Me being 5-foot-9 helps. I'm a normal person's height. People cheer for me because of that."
Before his brief stint with the Lakers, Thomas last played for the New Orleans Pelicans for three games last season. Prior to that, he played in 40 games for the Washington Wizards during the 2019-20 season. Thomas has been dealing with a lingering hip injury over the past few years, but he appears to have finally put the issue behind him.
His tenure with the Lakers may be over, but another team is likely to pick him up in order to bolster their bench, especially with so many players across the league's landscape being forced to enter into health and safety protocols.
