Free agent point guard Isaiah Thomas intends to be ready for the 2020-21 season after undergoing a resurfacing procedure on his hip, as relayed by Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN.
Thomas, 31, was reportedly playing through a great deal of pain while battling a bone-on-bone issue over the past few seasons. He underwent the procedure in May.
“It’s like night and day for me,” Thomas told Wojnarowski. “There’s no more pain. I’ve got my full range of motion. For three years, I was trying to play the best players in the world on one leg. I needed help from my kids to put my socks on in the morning.
“Now, I can lift weights. I can squat low. I can work out twice a day. I’m able to cut and move and stop, able to cut and go. I feel like I’m 31 years old again. And now, I have scientific evidence to show that.”
Thomas is 5-foot-9 and was traded by the Washington Wizards to the Los Angeles Clippers at the February deadline. The Clippers immediately waived him.
Prior to the injury — suffered against the Cleveland Cavaliers in the 2017 Eastern Conference Finals — Thomas led the East in scoring at 28.9 points per game.
He was traded to the Cavs as part of the Kyrie Irving deal the following offseason, but struggled to find a role as he came back from the injured hip. The Cavs then traded him to the Los Angeles Lakers in February 2018.
Along with the Celtics, Cavs, Wizards and Lakers, Thomas has spent time with the Sacramento Kings, Phoenix Suns and Denver Nuggets. He carries NBA career averages of 18.1 points and 5.0 assists.
“In some ways, the time off because of COVID was a blessing in disguise for my career,” Thomas told Wojnarowski. “It allowed me to take the time to get this procedure done, and get back physically to a level I need to be to compete in the league. I made the right decision to do this, and I’m anxious to show people I can contribute to a team again.”
