Guard Isaiah Thomas will be back in the NBA and with the Los Angeles Lakers, according to Shams Charania from The Athletic. The former All-Star will sign a 10-day contract under the hardship exemption with the team that he played for back in 2018.
Thomas is planning to sign a 10-day contract under the hardship exemption, sources said. https://t.co/cKmXwmgMWD
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) December 16, 2021
The exemption in which the deal is being made allows teams to exceed the 15-player limit when there are three inactive players due to injury or illness miss a minimum of three games and an additional player, which is the one being replaced by the hardship exemption, also misses three games.
The Lakers currently have Trevor Ariza and Kendrick Nunn out with injuries since the start of the season and Talen Horton-Tucker, Dwight Howard, Avery Bradley, Malik Monk, and Russell Westbrook are in the health and safety protocols.
For Thomas, this is another chance to prove he belongs in the league as he has bounced around since he was traded by the Boston Celtics. Most recently, he’s been playing for the USA national team in the 2023 World Cup Qualifiers and on Wednesday scored 42 points with the Grand Rapids Gold in the G League.
His last team in the NBA was the New Orleans Pelicans in a stint that lasted for three games.
