If the Phoenix Suns are unable to draft a franchise point guard in the draft, then former Suns playmaker Isaiah Thomas is worth the risk of signing.
Isaiah Thomas has been one of the more polarizing figures since he was drafted with the 60th pick of the 2011 draft by the Sacramento Kings. Thomas has seen his fair shares of ups and downs throughout his career, there’s no doubt about. However, the highs of Thomas’s career make him an interesting free agent option for the Phoenix Suns. If general manager Ryan McDonough misses out on drafting a franchise point guard this summer, then bringing Thomas back to Phoenix may be worth the risk.
His game
Thomas has been an elite point guard in the past with the Boston Celtics, but even before his time in Boston, he was still a very good point guard.
| Season | Age | Tm | Pos | G | GS | MP | FG% | 3P% | 2P% | eFG% | FT% | TRB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | PF | PTS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2011-12 | 22 | SAC | PG | 65 | 37 | 25.5 | .448 | .379 | .491 | .521 | .832 | 2.6 | 4.1 | 0.8 | 0.1 | 1.6 | 1.9 | 11.5 |
| 2012-13 | 23 | SAC | PG | 79 | 62 | 26.9 | .440 | .358 | .491 | .509 | .882 | 2.0 | 4.0 | 0.8 | 0.0 | 1.8 | 2.1 | 13.9 |
| 2013-14 | 24 | SAC | PG | 72 | 54 | 34.7 | .453 | .349 | .504 | .510 | .850 | 2.9 | 6.3 | 1.3 | 0.1 | 3.0 | 2.6 | 20.3 |
| 2014-15 | 25 | TOT | PG | 67 | 1 | 25.8 | .420 | .373 | .457 | .501 | .868 | 2.3 | 4.2 | 0.9 | 0.1 | 2.1 | 2.2 | 16.4 |
| 2014-15 | 25 | PHO | PG | 46 | 1 | 25.7 | .426 | .391 | .449 | .505 | .872 | 2.4 | 3.7 | 1.0 | 0.1 | 1.9 | 2.3 | 15.2 |
| 2014-15 | 25 | BOS | PG | 21 | 0 | 26.0 | .411 | .345 | .473 | .495 | .861 | 2.1 | 5.4 | 0.6 | 0.0 | 2.6 | 2.1 | 19.0 |
| 2015-16 | 26 | BOS | PG | 82 | 79 | 32.2 | .428 | .359 | .462 | .488 | .871 | 3.0 | 6.2 | 1.1 | 0.1 | 2.7 | 2.0 | 22.2 |
| 2016-17 | 27 | BOS | PG | 76 | 76 | 33.8 | .463 | .379 | .528 | .546 | .909 | 2.7 | 5.9 | 0.9 | 0.2 | 2.8 | 2.2 | 28.9 |
| 2017-18 | 28 | TOT | PG | 32 | 15 | 26.9 | .373 | .293 | .438 | .438 | .893 | 2.1 | 4.8 | 0.5 | 0.1 | 3.0 | 1.8 | 15.2 |
| 2017-18 | 28 | CLE | PG | 15 | 14 | 27.1 | .361 | .253 | .449 | .418 | .868 | 2.1 | 4.5 | 0.6 | 0.1 | 2.7 | 1.7 | 14.7 |
| 2017-18 | 28 | LAL | PG | 17 | 1 | 26.8 | .383 | .327 | .429 | .456 | .921 | 2.1 | 5.0 | 0.4 | 0.1 | 3.2 | 1.9 | 15.6 |
| Career | 473 | 324 | 29.8 | .439 | .361 | .488 | .509 | .877 | 2.6 | 5.1 | 0.9 | 0.1 | 2.4 | 2.1 | 18.9 |
Provided by Basketball-Reference.com: View Original Table
Generated 4/29/2018.
Before this past regular season, it could be said that Thomas was one of the better smaller players in league history. The injury that stopped him from playing with Celtics during the 2017 playoffs clearly affected him this past regular season. Assuming Thomas is fully recovered from his hip surgery, then he could be as formidable as he once was.
If he gets signed by the Suns, then he and Devin Booker would be a great one-two-punch. The duo would be one of the best scoring backcourts in the NBA. He also would take away opposing defensive pressure off of Booker and allow Booker to spot up on the perimeter more. Honestly their game’s would feed off each other and their shooting percentages should increase.
Don’t worry about off the court stuff
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Some fans may worry about off the court drama with Thomas, but there’s nothing to worry about. Back in 2016, McDonough said on a podcast with Arizona Sports 98.7 FM that he regretted trading Thomas. McDonough has a chance to correct that mistake this offseason and the union of the two parties could help the Suns reach the playoffs. On the same note, in an interview with Bleacher Report, Thomas stated that he understood his trade from Phoenix to Boston was a business move and appeared to hold no animosity about the trade. With no bitterness on either side, a reunion should be easy enough.
That trade that sent Thomas from the Cleveland Cavaliers to the Los Angeles Lakers made it clear that something wasn’t clicking. While Thomas’ time with the Cleveland Cavaliers wasn’t good, according to his teammate Channing Frye, it wasn’t because of locker room issues, but rather on the court chemistry. Frye’s comments should put to rest any questions about how Thomas is in a locker room.
Contract
All of this isn’t to say that McDonough and the Suns should throw a long and expensive contract at Thomas. The Suns should be smart and give Thomas a one or two year contract, with a possible team option attached. Giving Thomas a short contract would allow the Suns to give him a lot of money without compromising their long term salary cap. If he plays up to his superstar level then they should re-sign him long term after that contract is up, however if he can’t regain his form then the two sides can split relatively quick.
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If Thomas can return to his All-Star playing ability and if both sides can agree to a team friendly contract, then having Thomas return would be worth the risk for the Phoenix Suns. If the Suns end up drafting a franchise point guard, then adding Thomas would be pointless. However, if that doesn’t end up being the case, then the Suns’ organization should have serious talks about Thomas this offseason.