NBA Rumors: Isaiah Thomas Close To A Deal With Orlando Magic
Isaiah Thomas has had an up-and-down career over the past few years. From being one of the best scorers in the NBA with the Boston Celtics, to struggling with the Cleveland Cavaliers and being traded to the Los Angeles Lakers, to being shut down due to a hip injury, Thomas has seen his share of success and failure. Now, he is looking to find a deal in free agency and appears to be close to signing.
According to a report from Alex Kennedy of HoopsHype, the Orlando Magic are closing in on a deal with Thomas. There are no reports about the length of the contract or the amount of money, but more than likely it will end up being a one-year deal.
Orlando has been searching for a long-term answer at the point guard position for years. Perhaps Thomas could revitalize his career with the Magic and become the answer that they have been searching for. New head coach Steve Clifford would be a good fit for Thomas as well.
Last season with the Lakers in the 17 games following the trade, Thomas averaged 15.6 points per game to go along with 5.0 assists. During his 15-game tenure with the Cavaliers, Thomas averaged 14.7 points and 4.5 assists. Neither stint saw Thomas shoot the ball well.
At 29 years old, Thomas is looking to prove that he is still capable of being an elite NBA point guard. There are very few teams that would give Thomas the ability to compete for a starting job, but Orlando is one of them.
Isaiah Thomas followed the Orlando Magic on Twitter today. It seems Thomas wants to go somewhere he can play a lot, so Orlando makes a lot of sense. He'd get a lot of touches and the only other point guard on the roster is DJ Augustin. (h/t @DavidBaumannORL) pic.twitter.com/8woksGgAee
— Alex Kennedy (@AlexKennedyNBA) July 3, 2018
D.J. Augustin is the only point guard currently on the Magic’s roster that is capable of being a starter. Going out and signing Thomas would give them competition for the job. More than likely, Thomas would end up being able to win the starting job and would be given a chance to prove that he is the player that took the NBA by storm with the Celtics.
Bleacher Report had a good breakdown of what Thomas and the Magic’s fit would be like.
“The Magic can also afford to gamble on a player coming off a season-ending injury. They finished with the second-worst record in the Eastern Conference (25-57), and they’re at least a few years away from playoff contention. If Thomas still can’t recapture his old form in 2018-19, it wouldn’t change much for Orlando. But if he once again played like an All-Star, the Magic might have a nice trade asset ahead of the deadline.”
Expect to see the Magic and Thomas come to an agreement on a deal at some point in the near future. Both sides appear to be motivated to get something done, which should lead to Orlando finally adding a point guard with star potential and a resume to back that potential up.
