Isaiah Thomas: ‘I really believe if the [Rajon] Rondo buyout didn’t happen, you know, I woulda been a Laker’

Two-time NBA All-Star Isaiah Thomas is still trying to grind his way back to the NBA.

The guard recently offered some insight into how close he was to landing with the Los Angeles Lakers during the offseason.

“I really believe if the [Rajon] Rondo buyout didn’t happen, you know, I woulda been a Laker,” Thomas said. “All respect to Rondo and respect to the Lakers organization.”

Rondo was bought out by the Memphis Grizzlies during the offseason after being traded there from the Los Angeles Clippers. Once the Grizzlies bought him out, he signed with the Lakers.

Thomas clearly thinks the Lakers were close to inking him to a deal before the Rondo addition occurred. Fans can only speculate about whether or not Thomas would have been a better fit than Rondo.

This season, Rondo is getting 14.9 minutes of action per contest. He’s averaging 3.4 points, 2.4 rebounds and 3.6 assists per game. His shooting has been poor, as he’s knocking down just 31.7 percent of his shots from the field and 28.0 percent of his shots from deep.

The last time Thomas saw action in the NBA was in the 2020-21 campaign. He appeared in three games for the New Orleans Pelicans and averaged 7.7 points per contest.

Thomas was a great offensive player during his prime. He averaged 25.5 points per game between his two All-Star seasons, both of which came with the Boston Celtics.

It’ll be interesting to see if the 32-year-old will get another chance at the NBA level again. Lots of fans would certainly love to see that happen.