It has been a little over 13 years since the Sacramento Kings used the final pick (pick 60) in the 2011 NBA Draft to select Isaiah Thomas. Despite his shorter stature (5'9), Thomas has made the most of all his opportunities, earning two All-Star selections and one All-NBA Selection.
However, things haven't been the same for Thomas since he gutted through a serious hip injury during the 2017 Playoffs, and now he is a man with no country (an unsigned free agent).
On Monday, it was reported that Thomas will be participating in some competitive workouts in Sacramento with some rostered Kings players, opening the door for a potential return to the team that drafted him.
Fan favorite Isaiah Thomas will be among a few free agents in Sacramento this week for some competitive workouts with Kings roster players, who are in town. Sources say Tony Bradley, Juan Toscano-Anderson & Lonnie Walker are joining the group.
— Sean Cunningham (@SeanCunningham) August 20, 2024
Is Isaiah Thomas Actually Coming Back?
While this is an interesting piece of news, I still think it is highly unlikely that Thomas will rejoin the Kings. Not only has it been years since he's been a productive player, but he's also one of multiple NBA free agents being invited to this event. I would think differently about this situation if Thomas was the only free agent invited to these workouts.
Could Isaiah Thomas Help The Kings?
The main reason I doubt that Thomas will return to the team that drafted him is that they don't really have a need for his position. We already signed a backup point guard in Jordan McLaughlin. McLaughlin isn't the player that Thomas was at his apex, but he is younger and, more importantly, healthier than the former All-Star.
What the Kings really need is some functional size. They need role players (preferably power forwards) who can offer size, shooting, defense, and closeout attacking. That is simply not the type of player Thomas is (or was, for that matter). Honestly, they would be much better if they added Lonnie Walker IV (one of the other players who will be at these workouts).
With all this said, Thomas surely does want to return to the NBA. In an interview I did for Forbes, he told me, "I'm still trying to play the game of basketball. I want to get back to the NBA."
Up to this point, Thomas has played 216 career games for the Kings, averaging 15.3 PPG, 4.8 APG, and 1.0 SPG during his three seasons with the team.