Isaiah Thomas is making his return to the NBA on a 10-day contract with the Pelicans, according to Sports Illustrated‘s Howard Beck. The deal will reportedly be signed on Saturday.
The guard has not played in the NBA since February 2020. That season, he averaged 12.2 points in 23.1 minutes and hit a career-high 41.3% of his three-pointers with Washington.
“I love him. I love what he’s about,” Wizards coach Scott Brooks told Beck in February. “And he did just that. What he did to prepare for a game—a month of NBA games, a year of NBA games—is pretty remarkable. He spent all day to get his body and his mind right. He was fighting every day.”
Thomas was a two-time All-Star with the Celtics but then bounced around the league despite being one of the strongest fourth-quarter players in the league.
He has played in just 84 games since leaving Boston after the 2017-18.
“I’ve been the last pick. I’ve seen the bottom,” Thomas said to Beck. “I’ve seen the top—being an MVP [contender], an All-Star. And I’m back on the bottom now. I just need my foot in the door. Like I said when I got drafted: All I need is a chance. I’ll do the rest.”
