Isaiah Thomas out vs. Kings due to NBA COVID-19 protocols after one game with Mavericks
Isaiah Thomas made his Dallas Mavericks debut in Sacramento on Wednesday night after signing a 10-day contract earlier in the day, but he won’t be with the team when the Mavericks face the Kings again Friday at Golden 1 Center.
The Mavericks announced Thursday that Thomas had entered NBA health and safety protocols just 24 hours after joining the team in Sacramento. Thomas came off the bench to post six points and four assists in 13 minutes in a 95-94 loss to the Kings, the team that drafted him in 2011.
The Mavericks said Luka Doncic, Trey Burke, Tim Hardaway Jr., Maxi Kleber, Brandon Knight, Boban Marjanovic and JaQuori McLaughlin will be out again due to health and safety protocols as well. Willie Cauley-Stein, who spent four seasons in Sacramento, remains away from the team due to personal reasons.
Thomas, 32, was seen exchanging handshakes and hugs with a number of members of the Kings organization before Wednesday’s game. He received a rousing ovation from the Sacramento crowd when he checked in for the first time with 4:46 to play in the first quarter.
The 5-foot-9 point guard started his career with the Kings after they selected him with the 60th pick in the 2011 NBA draft. Thomas spent three seasons with the Kings, averaging 15.3 points and 4.8 assists in 216 games.
Thomas went on to play for the Phoenix Suns, Boston Celtics, Cleveland Cavaliers, Los Angeles Lakers, Denver Nuggets, Washington Wizards and New Orleans Pelicans. He was a two-time All-Star with the Celtics and an MVP candidate in 2016-17, when he averaged a career-high 28.9 points per game.
Thomas has struggled to find a home in the NBA since then while being plagued by injuries. He played a total of 32 games for the Cavaliers and Lakers in 2017-18, 12 games for the Nuggets in 2018-19, 40 games for the Wizards in 2019-20 and three games for the Pelicans in 2020-21.
Thomas joined the Mavericks on a hardship exemption days after his 10-day contract with the Lakers expired. Thomas appeared in four games for the Lakers, averaging 9.3 points on 30.8% shooting from the field and 22.7% shooting from 3-point range. He had 19 points against the Minnesota Timberwolves in his Lakers debut on Dec. 17 and 13 points against the Chicago Bulls on Dec. 19.
This story was originally published December 30, 2021 at 3:36 PM.
