The New Orleans Pelicans plan to sign free agent guard Isaiah Thomas to a 10-day contract, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic.
Thomas, 31, is 5-foot-9 and has not played since February 2020, when he was traded from the Washington Wizards to the Los Angeles Clippers, then immediately waived.
He reportedly was playing through a great deal of pain while battling a bone-on-bone issue in his hip over the past few seasons. He underwent a procedure on the hip in May.
“It’s like night and day for me,” Thomas told ESPN. “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.”
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.
The Pelicans (21-26) have suffered through a difficult season of injuries and uneven play, and are currently looking for veteran help to make a playoff push. They are coming off a home loss to the Orlando Magic.
