Former All-Star guard Isaiah Thomas signed a 10-day hardship contract with the Dallas Mavericks on Wednesday after his 10-day deal with the Los Angeles Lakers had expired without being renewed.
Thomas suited up on the same day that he was signed, featuring in the Mavericks’ 95-94 loss to the Sacramento Kings, one of IT’s former teams. Thomas was able to play 13 minutes in the game despite having no practice with the Mavs.
The 32-year-old put up 6 points and 4 assists in his time on the floor, although his shooting was rusty. The former All-Star took 8 shots to score 6 points and didn’t connect on any of his 3 three-point attempts on the night.
And now, it has come to light how the deal to bring Thomas to Dallas worked out. Dwain Price of Mavs.com has revealed that Isaiah was out shopping for groceries in Seattle when he got the call to make the deal. Thomas elaborated on the conversation.
“He asked me, ‘You think you can play tonight?’ I said, ‘Hell yeah I can play tonight.’ “
And so the former All-Star hopped on a plane and made his way to Sacramento, where he joined the team during their pre-game preparations and subsequently played against the Kings.
Isaiah Thomas was out grocery shopping in Seattle when Mavs GM Nico Harrison called him today about signing a 10-day contract. He asked me, 'You think you can play tonight.? I said, 'Hell yeah I can play tonight.' " So Thomas hopped on a plane and flew to Sacramento.
— Dwain Price (@DwainPrice) December 30, 2021
It wasn’t enough for the Mavericks to get a win though, as they succumbed to a buzzer-beater from the Kings’ Chimezie Metu. Despite outscoring the Kings in 3 of the 4 quarters, Dallas couldn’t make up for a terrible 2nd quarter performance.
The Mavs have suffered quite a bit thanks to COVID-19, with superstar Luka Doncic in Health and Safety Protocols along with other important role players like Tim Hardaway Jr., Maxi Kleber and Reggie Bullock.
Isaiah Thomas’ new team now fall to a 16-18 record and if he wants a chance to find success in the league again, he will have to contribute a lot more when they face the Kings again on Friday night.
