NBA
NBA PM: Isaiah Thomas Opens Up About Free Agency
Updated15 Oct 2021
Isaiah Thomas Opens Up About Free Agency
Entering the 2013-14 NBA season, Isaiah Thomas wasn’t sure if he was going to be the starting point guard for the Sacramento Kings. The organization had just underwent a major overhaul, bringing in a new owner (Vivek Ranadivé), general manager (Pete D’Alessandro), head coach (Mike Malone) and potential starting point guard (Greivis Vasquez). Thomas, entering his third season after being the final pick in the 2011 NBA Draft, knew that his future was up in the air.
But Thomas is a fighter, someone who has always found a way to exceed expectations and succeed regardless of the obstacles put in his way. Upon learning that the Kings had acquired Vasquez in a three-team trade with the New Orleans Pelicans and Portland Trail Blazers, Thomas immediately drove to a Seattle gym and put himself through a rigorous workout. This became his daily routine over the summer, and he was determined to return to Sacramento as a much-improved player who could battle to keep his starting job.
When the Kings reconvened for the start of the season, it was clear that Thomas’ hard work had paid off. He thrived off of the bench early in the season and then played so well that Vasquez became expendable. The Kings traded Vasquez to the Toronto Raptors in their blockbuster deal to acquire Rudy Gay. Thomas ended up starting 54 games for the Kings, averaging 21.2 points, 6.8 assists, 3.1 rebounds and 1.2 steals. By the end of the season, Thomas wasn’t just the best floor general in Sacramento, he was one of the most productive point guards in the league. His 20.54 efficiency rating was fourth-best among all NBA point guards, behind only Chris Paul, Russell Westbrook and Stephen Curry.
“It was great, just because the work I put in,” Thomas told Basketball Insiders of his breakout season. “I felt like if I was given an opportunity, I could be one of the top guards in the NBA. I’ve said that before and people kind of looked at me sideways. But I feel like it’s all about opportunity and taking advantage of what people give you. The Sacramento Kings and Mike Malone gave me an opportunity and I just ran with it and did the things that I know how to do.”
Now, after his breakout season, Thomas is entering one of the most important summers of his life. Once the Kings extend a $2,875,131 qualifying offer to him, he’ll become a restricted free agent who is free to meet with other franchises. The Kings can match any offer that he receives, but it will be his first time being able to meet with his teams and explore their offers. The 25-year-old isn’t sure what will happen when he hits the free agency market, but he’s ready for the process.
“I’m just going to approach it with an open mind because I don’t really know what to expect,” Thomas said of free agency. “I’ve never done it and never been a part of it. I’m just going to go in with an open mind. I’ve done the best I could possibly do and I’ve controlled what I can control and that’s by going out there and giving it my all and leaving it on the floor. The rest is in God’s hands. It’s up in the air and I know everything happens for a reason. I’m going to be alright.”
Thomas understands that the NBA is a business, so he’s not sure if he’ll be back with the Kings next year.
“You never know,” Thomas said. “You’ve got to do what’s best for yourself. But at the same time, like I’ve said since day one, I love Sacramento, I love the coaching staff, I love the new ownership. They’ve done nothing but great things for me, but you never know. With this business, anything can happen.”
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Thomas admits that he reads all of the latest NBA rumors and reports on websites like Basketball Insiders and HoopsHype, but he tries not to focus on them too much
“I read the stuff, but it doesn’t bother me because I know the business of basketball,” Thomas said. “I know one guy can say one thing and it’s not even true and it’s around the whole United States; that’s just how it is. That’s why they’re called rumors. I definitely do read it because I like to stay in the loop, but they don’t bother me.”
One team that could be an intriguing option for Thomas is the Los Angeles Lakers. L.A. has just three players under contract for next season (Kobe Bryant, Steve Nash and Robert Sacre), and plenty of cap space to be active in free agency. It’s well-documented that Thomas grew up a diehard fan of the Lakers since his father is from Los Angeles, and he has idolized Bryant since he was a child. When asked what it would mean to sign an offer sheet with the Lakers, Thomas admits that it would be special.
“It would mean a lot,” Thomas said of receiving an offer sheet from the Lakers. “Not even just the Lakers, but just to have other teams trying to get you, it means you’re wanted. Like I’ve said in interviews before, I just want to be wanted. I want to be wanted for being 5’9 and I want to be wanted for being a scoring point guard. That’s all that I can say. If that’s the Lakers, I’d be happy. If that’s the Kings, then I’d be happy. I just want to be wanted and I want to win.”
As Thomas prepares for free agency on July 1, he’s going to reach out to a number of his veteran friends around the NBA so that he has an idea of what to expect when the circus begins.
“I haven’t [talked to any veterans yet], but I’ll probably reach out to a few guys, especially the older guys that have been through it,” Thomas said. “I’ve been just chilling and trying to relax and not think about it too much.”
One player who Thomas will discuss his decision with is Los Angeles Clippers guard Jamal Crawford, who is his mentor and one of his closest friends. Thomas and Crawford have known each other for years since they grew up in the same area. They even share the same agent, Andy Miller, and Thomas flew to Los Angeles to be in attendance for the ceremony when Crawford won this season’s Sixth Man of the Year award. Crawford is confident that Thomas will be highly coveted this summer and continue to thrive in the NBA.
“Isaiah is someone who has earned everything; he’s never had anything given to him,” Crawford said. “People said he was too small or that he wouldn’t make it to the NBA or that he couldn’t be a young star in the NBA, but he has done it. He’s a guy who is constantly working and constantly asking questions to get better. He has everyone’s respect. I couldn’t be more proud of him, and I know the best is yet to come for him. He’s one of the best free agents on the market this summer.”
As Crawford pointed out, Thomas has only been in the NBA for three seasons and it certainly seems that his best basketball is still ahead of him. Thomas agrees with this sentiment, and says that he feels he could someday be an All-Star in the NBA if he continues to work hard and lands in the right situation.
“I have a lot [of goals],” Thomas said. “I want to be an All-Star; I’ve always said that when given an opportunity, I can showcase that I can play at a very high level and numbers don’t lie. I think the next thing in my career is just winning, and winning takes care of all of the individual success. I know with the numbers that I have, if I lead a team to wins then those accolades will come. I’m just going to continue to work and continue to try to reach my goals and win. … I feel like I’ve gotten a lot of better in the last few years. I was watching actually film of my rookie year a few weeks ago and I was like, ‘I didn’t even look good!’ I felt like I wasn’t even that good. The jump that I’ve made, I think it’s going to happen every year just because of the work I’ve put in. I’m ready for every opportunity that’s thrown at me. I’m ready to show the world that I can play at a high level. This summer, I’m going to keep working too. I’m continuing to work on shooting, but also working on my off-hand passing and learning how to pass through traffic. I just want to keep getting better at being a passer and making my teammates better.”
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While Thomas must weigh his free agency options and prepare for whatever happens next, he is happy with his current situation in Sacramento, where he has earned a key role as a significant contributor, gained chemistry with his teammates and grown comfortable with the city.
The Kings only managed to win 28 games last season, but they were competitive on most nights and they have a promising core that features Thomas, Gay, DeMarcus Cousins, Ben McLemore and whoever they select with the No. 8 pick in this draft. With Gay opting into the final year of his contract, it does take away some of Sacramento’s cap flexibility but it does leave open the possibility that the Kings may be able to keep their squad intact next year. If that’s the case, Thomas believes they can make some noise in the Western Conference and possibly qualify for the playoffs.
“Assuming we all come back, I think we can be very talented,” Thomas said of the Kings. “I think a lot of people in the league know how talented we can be. The jump we made this year, it didn’t translate to wins, but we were ahead in almost every game that we played in. We don’t know how to win yet. We have to figure out how to win close games. But I think with this core group of guys, we can better our games and then make it to the playoffs.”
The presence of Coach Malone is another reason why Thomas enjoys Sacramento. The point guard and head coach became very close throughout the course of last season. Thomas believes that bond is very important, and he loves that they have a strong relationship.
“Our relationship is great,” Thomas said of his bond with Coach Malone. “Since day one, he kept it 100 percent real with me. In the exit meeting, he said, ‘Man, you turned me into the biggest Isaiah Thomas fan.’ He was the first guy that really let me be me and embraced me for being me. I can’t say enough about him, he’s a guy that knows a lot about basketball and has great knowledge of the game. This whole coaching staff, they do their part. I can honestly say that they do their part and they work so hard. They come in every single day ready to work.”
In several weeks, Thomas will have a better idea of what his future holds. This is the second consecutive summer that he is surrounded by uncertainty, but with a breakout season behind him and the opportunity to secure a lucrative new contract looming, the situation is much more promising this time around.
Blatt Will Face Former Team in NBA Debut
When David Blatt makes his debut as the Cleveland Cavaliers’ new head coach, he’ll be matching up against familiar faces. The Cavaliers will open their 2014-15 preseason against Maccabi Tel Aviv, the team that Blatt just left after four seasons, on October 5 as part of a Euroleague US Tour 2014.
“I couldn’t think of a better-scripted story than starting this new chapter in my life with a friendly game against my Maccabi Tel Aviv family,” Blatt said.
Maccabi Tel Aviv , the reigning Euroleague champions, will also take on the Brooklyn Nets during the Euroleague US Tour on October 7.
With Blatt leaving to take the Cavaliers job, his former assistant Guy Goodes will take over as the team’s head coach. Goodes has been learning under Blatt in recent years, and he’s looking forward to taking on his mentor in this preseason contest.
“It will definitely be an interesting game,” Goodes said. “David obviously knows Maccabi’s playbook inside and out, but the team is geared up to face our friend and mentor and will be coming out there to win. Knowing David, it’s what he would demand of us.”
This will be the fifth time in nine years that Maccabi Tel Aviv represents the Euroleague against an NBA squad during the league’s preseason festivities.
Over the years, Maccabi has played 20 games against NBA clubs, winning five. In 2005, Maccabi became the first European team to beat an NBA squad on its home court by defeating the Toronto Raptors, 105-103, in the Air Canada Center.
Maccabi’s US Tour 2014 will follow two games against national Brazilian champion Flamengo as part of the Intercontinental Cup competition.
