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Veteran point guard Isaiah Thomas had 42 points in his G League debut on Wednesday, and that performance reportedly was enough to impress the Los Angeles Lakers.
According to The Athletic’s Shams Charania, Thomas signed a 10-day contract with Los Angeles on Thursday.
The Athletic @TheAthletic
JUST IN — Isaiah Thomas is signing with the Los Angeles Lakers, sources tell <a href=”https://twitter.com/ShamsCharania?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw”>@ShamsCharania</a>. <br><br>He will join the team on a 10-day contract under the hardship exemption. <a href=”https://t.co/AiCHTObuQg”>pic.twitter.com/AiCHTObuQg</a>
Thomas was last in the NBA near the end of last season, playing three games for the New Orleans Pelicans in the month of April. After he was unable to land with another team through the first two months of this season, Thomas signed a G League deal with the Grand Rapids Gold, the affiliate of the Denver Nuggets.
Thomas has played for eight teams during his 11-year career. This will be his second run with the Lakers after he was traded to Los Angeles midway through the 2017-18 season. Thomas was limited to 17 games during his first stint with the team because of hip surgery.
Thomas is best known for his time with the Boston Celtics, when he was a two-time All-Star in three seasons with the team. After averaging a career-high 28.9 points in 2016-17, Thomas earned second-team All-NBA honors.
The 32-year-old has dealt with hip issues throughout his career, playing in just 87 NBA games since the 2017-18 season. Thomas has said he is healthy now, and he certainly looked that way on Wednesday.
The Lakers have a 16-13 record following Wednesday night’s overtime win over the Dallas Mavericks, which was their third consecutive victory.
