When the Golden State Warriors permitted Isaiah Thomas to come work out for the team earlier this week, there was a lot of enthusiasm and excitement around the idea of him making the final roster.
In fact, the Warriors were seen as one of the two likeliest landing spots for the 32-year-old.
Unfortunately, it looks like that won’t happen.
Shortly after Thomas made his bid, the front office revealed that Gary Payton II, Mychal Mulder, Avery Bradley and Langston Galloway were being brought in to compete for the last remaining roster slot.
Translation: they want someone else.
So what went wrong for Thomas?
According to Anthony Slater of The Athletic, his size and defensive shortcomings were viewed as too big of burdens relative to objectively good shooting and offensive firepower he’d potentially bring to the table.
Thomas most recently played for the New Orleans Pelicans in 2020-21. He ultimately participated in just three outings, putting up 7.7 points in 16 minutes of action per game.
— Game 7 (@game7__) September 24, 2021
Thomas famously burst onto the scene as a legit superstar in 2016-17, when he averaged 28.9 points for the Boston Celtics – earning an All-Star nod in the process. Unfortunately, after an injury, the Celtics cut ties with him – costing him $100+ million and forever tarnishing the franchise’s reputation among the NBA’s superstars.
The Warriors went 39-33 last season and are viewed as legit dark horse favorites to make some noise if everyone gets healthy, so they can’t be blamed for looking out for themselves. They need to sign the players they genuinely believe can help them win. That said – it’s still pretty sad that Thomas couldn’t earn a roster slot with them.
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Charles Kruger has been credentialed to cover two Super Bowls, four NBA Finals, and one World Series. A 20-year veteran in the sports world, he has sources spanning the NBA, MLB, NFL, UFC and NASCAR. Currently residing in Los Angeles, Calif., he is Game 7’s go-to source for rumors surrounding the Lakers, Clippers and Dodgers.
