The Los Angeles Lakers completed a trade for Isaiah Thomas at the trade deadline, hoping that the undersized point guard would find a way to recapture the form that he showed with the Boston Celtics during the 2016-17 season.
After a difficult stint with the Cleveland Cavaliers, Thomas appeared to badly need a change of scenery. Unfortunately, Thomas’ time in a Lakers jersey last season was cut short due to season-ending hip surgery.
That cast further uncertainty on Thomas’ free agency, which came to end this week when he agreed to a one-year contract with the Denver Nuggets. Thomas will hope to re-establish his value, which fell drastically from where it was just one season prior.
Despite only being in Los Angeles for a short time, Thomas still made an impact on the team’s young players. After the announcement of a deal with Denver, Kyle Kuzma took to Twitter to appreciate what he learned from Thomas, while also including a friendly jab:
Appreciate my bro @isaiahthomas learned a lot in a short period of time. Can’t wait till u switch on me in the post this year
— kuz (@kylekuzma) July 13, 2018
Thomas was never able to get his feet under him with the Lakers, but he won over Kuzma with his leadership in the locker room and on the floor. Likewise, Thomas showed great appreciation for Kuzma’s skill set and potential.
Given that he grew up a Lakers fan, it seemed as though Thomas had a good chance of sticking in Los Angeles, but that ship sailed when LeBron James decided to sign with the Lakers.
The two didn’t work well together in Cleveland, and with the arrival of Rajon Rondo, there was simply no role for Thomas with the Lakers anymore.
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