Boston Celtics

Isaiah Thomas making another NBA comeback bid, signs with G League team

Thomas has played for nine NBA organizations since being traded by the Celtics in 2017.

Isaiah Thomas
Isaiah Thomas at a baseball game between the Seattle Mariners and the San Francisco Giants in Aug. 2024. Alika Jenner/Getty Images

By Hayden Bird

3 minutes to read

Isaiah Thomas is making another comeback bid: Former Celtics guard Isaiah Thomas has navigated a difficult road since being traded from Boston to Cleveland as part of the blockbuster Kyrie Irving deal in 2017.

Thomas, who averaged 28.9 points per game in what proved to be his best and final season with the Celtics, has battled injuries since. He has played for nine NBA organizations since the trade, never reaching the same heights he attained in Boston.

Now 35, Thomas is once again set for another shot at returning to the NBA. Per ESPN insider Shams Charania, he’s signing with the Utah Jazz’s G-League affiliate, the Salt Lake City Stars.

The deal represents Thomas not only rejoining a team he played for in 2024 (eventually using it as a springboard to sign a short-term deal with the Suns), but also reuniting with Danny Ainge (the executive who acquired and traded Thomas in Boston).

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In his earlier stint with Salt Lake City, Thomas proved he could still be prolific on offense, averaging 32.5 points per game for the Stars in four appearances. He then played in six games with the Suns after signing an initial 10-day contract in March, 2024.

Scores and schedules:

The Fleet lost to the Frost in Minnesota on Sunday, 5-2. Boston will host New York on Friday at the Tsongas Center at 7 p.m.

Tonight, the Celtics host the Rockets at 7:30 p.m.

Tomorrow, the Bruins face the Sabres in Buffalo at 7 p.m.

More from Boston.com:

Brady to Gronk: The former Patriots were on the Fox set on Sunday, recreating some past magic.

On this day: In 2000, the Patriots completed the complicated (and at times acrimonious) process of acquiring Bill Belichick from the Jets. The two division rivals — in the midst of the “border war” period — took some time to strike a deal. The trade terms include an exchange of draft picks (including the Patriots’ first-round pick that year), but the result completed an improbable journey for Belichick.

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Having been named as Bill Parcells’ successor in New York only days earlier, Belichick had quickly resigned as “HC of the NYJ” in a memorable press conference less than 24 hours after being named head coach.

So as sat down in front of New England media on the night of Jan. 27, he opened his first Patriots press conference in an uncharacteristic way: by making a joke.

“Hopefully this press conference will go a little better than the last one I had,” he said with a wry smile. It was a humorous start to a new era in New England, one which would eventually yield six Super Bowl wins.

Daily highlight: Quinnipiac sophomore Kahlen Lamarche scored one of the best goals of the weekend in a Friday night 2-1 win over Yale.

Hayden Bird

Sports Staff

Hayden Bird is a sports staff writer for Boston.com, where he has worked since 2016. He covers all things sports in New England.

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