Veteran guard Isaiah Thomas posted a grateful goodbye message to the Los Angeles Lakers after the team did not offer him another 10-day contract.
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Thomas, who has been working to get back in the NBA, appeared in four games for the Lakers, making one start.
The Lakers were decimated by the COVID-19 pandemic this month, and they were forced to put several players in the league’s health and safety protocols.
That opened the door for the team to bring in Thomas, a former All-Star, to help the team through a rough patch.
The veteran guard averaged 9.3 points, 2.0 rebounds and 1.5 assists per game for the Lakers, but he struggled with his efficiency in his four games with the team.
Thomas shot just 30.8 percent from the field and 22.7 percent from beyond the arc during his time with Los Angeles this season. While he showed that he can still contribute at the NBA level, Thomas didn’t do enough for the Lakers to view him as a long-term piece in their rotation.
After making the All-Star team in the 2016-17 season, Thomas dealt with a hip injury that hindered him the following season.
The former second-round pick in the 2011 NBA Draft has never gotten back to his All-Star form, and he’s played for the Cleveland Cavaliers, Lakers, Washington Wizards, New Orleans Pelicans and Denver Nuggets since the 2017-18 season.
Thomas appeared in just three games for New Orleans in the 2020-21 season. He most likely will look to latch on with another NBA team in the 2021-22 season now that his stint in Los Angeles is over.
