Isaiah Thomas signs 10-day deal with Lakers
Former All-Star guard Isaiah Thomas has signed a 10-day contract with the Los Angeles Lakers and will be in the team's lineup wearing No. 31 against the Minnesota Timberwolves, the team announced.
The Lakers, who currently have a full 15-man roster under contract, used a hardship exemption to sign Thomas. L.A. is without several players due to injuries and COVID-19 protocols, including Talen Horton-Tucker, Dwight Howard, Malik Monk, and Avery Bradley.
Thomas finished fifth in MVP voting during the 2016-17 campaign as a member of the Boston Celtics but struggled to repeat similar success in recent years, in large part because of a hip injury that has since been surgically repaired. He most recently appeared in three contests with the New Orleans Pelicans last season and previously suited up for the Purple and Gold in 2017-18.
The 5-foot-9 point guard is coming off a 42-point performance in his G League debut with the Grand Rapids Gold on Wednesday. Thomas, who owns career averages of 18.1 points and 4.9 assists in 528 games, was reportedly linked to the Lakers in the offseason.
Los Angeles (16-13) is currently riding a three-game winning streak and sits sixth in the Western Conference.