Isaiah Thomas On Celtics Need For Bench Scoring: 'I Could Definitely Help With That!'
BOSTON (CBS) - Former Celtics star Isaiah Thomas made it clear on Sunday that he feels he could help the team that turned him into a household name...if they choose to sign him.
After Gary Washburn of The Boston Globe published an article this weekend that discussed the possibility of the Celtics signing Thomas to bolster the team's scoring off the bench, the free agent quote-tweeted Washburn and said, "I could definitely help with that! Ima just keep workin though."
Though it's just a two-game sample size, the 1-1 Celtics came into play on Sunday tied for 23rd in the league in points per game. With Kemba Walker out for the start of the season due to injury, the Celtics may need more help on the scoring end.
But the Celtics roster has 17 players, so to add Thomas, they would have to remove a current player.
Thomas was a two-time All-Star and a fan favorite for the Celtics after arriving in a trade from the Phoenix Suns during the 2014-2015 season. The 31-year-old was named to the All-NBA Second Team after averaging a career-high 28.9 points per game during the 2016-2017 campaign.
That same season, which ended up being his final year with Boston, Thomas helped lead the Celtics to the Eastern Conference Finals. He scored 53 points, the second-highest total in Celtics' playoff history, in a memorable win over the Washington Wizards in the Eastern Conference Semifinals.
But after injuring his hip during the 2017 playoffs, Thomas's production has fallen off a cliff. Celtics GM Danny Ainge traded him the following offseason to the Cleveland Cavaliers, and he has since become a journeyman. After spending less than a full season with the Cavs, Thomas has played for the Los Angeles Lakers, Denver Nuggets and Washington Wizards.
As he eyes a return to the NBA, Thomas made it clear he would rejoin the Celtics in a bench role.
We'll see if Boston feels the same way.