JULY 16: The Nuggets have officially signed Thomas, the team announced today in a press release.
JULY 12: The Nuggets will sign free agent guard Isaiah Thomas to a one-year contract, tweets ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski. He will accept a veteran’s minimum deal (Twitter link) and will join forces with head coach Michael Malone, who previously coached Thomas in Sacramento.
Thomas will have a $2,029,463 salary for the upcoming season, while Denver will absorb a $1,512,601 cap hit.
Thomas will try to rediscover the form that made him an MVP candidate in Boston after a brutal season that saw him traded to the Cavaliers and Lakers. He sat out the first half of the season while recovering from a lingering hip injury, then played just 15 games for Cleveland before being moved. The veteran guard was a controversial figure with the Cavs, facing frequent complaints over his attitude and poor defense.
Thomas’ performance was a little better with the Lakers, but he appeared in just 17 games before undergoing minor hip surgery in March. He has since declared himself fully healed from that procedure.
An opportunity may be waiting in Denver, which could use another scorer after trading Wilson Chandler to the Sixers last week. The Nuggets also didn’t have a ton of backcourt depth behind starting point guard Jamal Murray, so Thomas could be a key contributor and offensive play-maker for the club.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Nice
This is a very interesting move for the second unit. Moving Will Barton to the starting wing necessitates a strong ballhandler to come off the bench, and if healthy, Thomas is a perfect fit.
They’ll just need to clear a roster spot, which I would imagine they’ll do by shipping out Faried, Arthur, or Hernangomez.
He’s not coming off the bench. Consider this the year he wants to rebuild his value.
Harris is making over $20 mil next year. Do the math on who is coming off the bench and who is starting between Harris and Thomas.
Agreed. And they need a backup PG anyway. There’s no way you’re starting IT unless you’re sitting one of Murray or Harris. And if you’re sitting one of Murray or Harris to start IT, you’re probably doing something wrong.
You’re coaching he team now??? LOL
Interesting pick up. Murray, Harris, and Thomas could end up as a nice backcourt combo.
Interesting, awesome buy low risk tho
Lin to the hawks
They backed up the brink truck
I’m with you. I’ll hold the door to the truck but not for long.
Ya, that should improve their defense…I dont get the fit, especially with all of their young guards.
They could use a backup point guard. If Barton is going to be starting, they need a playmaker off the bench.
Monte Morris and Malik Beasley are still there. Craig could start at the 3 for defense, and keep Barton off the bench. Lyles can also facilitate from the 4 spot at times. If you dont trust Morris or Beasley, I could see another playmaker, but I dont think ITs deficiencies can be hidden on this team the way they could somewhere else, and they dont really need scoring
If you want someone to disrupt things IT is it.
His attitude does worry me a bit. The good thing is if the creates problems the Nuggets can get rid of him with only a 2 million salary.
Who knew that the Brinks trunk only had $2,029,463 in it?
If it is all in pennies it would fill the truck quite nicely.
Well Denver went ahead with all these other plans instead of my Cavs trade. Good luck then
Good move for Denver, actually can be great for the price if it comes off well. I wouldn’t be surprised if he starts instead of Murray, I am not too sold on him, I think he is very lucky to play with Jokic, doing the old point-center routine, so he can just be a SG really, I think at least IT can pass the ball a bit more just like a proper PG, but won’t need to overdo it with Jokic in there anyway, will see how it goes with chemistry an all, but seems a very good pick for a guy that just 1 year ago was on the run for MVP & now you getting him for the vets min, not much can go wrong, right? Even if it doesn’t work they can cut him without any effect for the team financially. BTW what a lost opportunity for Orlando, man how they suck.
200 million pennies would cause a brinks truck to break an axle.
Lol… could have started for the Magic, he may not get on the court. Murray is a B E A S T and Beasley looks nice.
IT is the backup PG….he will get on the court
Guess that brinks truck never arrived
Good moves for the Nuggets this summer. Losing Chandler hurts their defense without a doubt, but since the Warriors have the title locked up already it makes sense to give more time to their young guys like Beasley, Craig, Juancho, Vanderbilt and hopefully Porter. Anyone who thinks IT will be starting is nuts, that would make no sense.
Brutal for IT. Lost all that money, wow
this is a good signing for denver.
If he’s OK coming off the bench, and healthy, then it’s a great pick up. Otherwise, confusing.