No, the Philadelphia 76ers shouldn’t pursue Isaiah Thomas

The Philadelphia 76ers need a better option at backup point guard.

No offense to Shake Milton, Furkan Korkmaz, Tyler Johnson, Myles Powell, or any of the other guards Doc Rivers has tasked with running the show so far this season, but when Joel Embiid ranks first on the team in both assists and assist percentage, and Tobias Harris comes in at third in both categories, something just isn’t right.

Sidebar: You know, between the team’s lack of facilitating and league-worst rebounding, it’s almost like the Sixers expected to have a 6-foot-10 do-it-all performer to play for them this fall. In hindsight, that’s a massive oversight.

So naturally, outside of a massive trade that pushes all chips to the center of the table, the 76ers should look to the margins to improve their backcourt and secure the sort of dime dropper needed to make Embiid’s life easier in the paint and just generally run the offense when Tyrese Maxey is off the court.

Isaiah Thomas, the biggest point guard name on the 10-contract market, isn’t that guy for the Philadelphia 76ers.

The Philadelphia 76ers should avoid IT on the free agent market.

There was a time where landing Isaiah Thomas would have been a massive get for the Philadelphia 76ers.

As a member of the Bostin Celtics, Thomas routinely gashed the Sixers for years both at “The Center” or up at The Garden. His ability to provide consistent points as a change-of-pace option coming off the bench would have been an incredible get during the early days of the Joel Embiid-Ben Simmons pairing, and the former finalist for League MVP could help provide some much-needed pop to get Brett Brown’s squad over the top.

But then Thomas injured his hip and has never been the same.

Instead of offering Thomas the sort of nine-figure contract his on-court play would suggest, the Celtics package Thomas with Jae Crowder, Ante Žižić, and the Brooklyn Nets’ unprotected 2018 first-round pick where he was then traded to the Los Angeles Lakers alongside Channing Fry and a different 2018 first-round pick for Jordan Clarkson and Larry Nance Jr., both of whom have since been moved by the team.

Since that weird 17-game run with the Lakers back in 2018, Thomas has bounced around the association, signing contracts with the Denver Nuggets, the Washington Wizards – shout out the “I just wanted a frosty” video – the New Orleans Pelicans and was a member of the Los Angeles Clippers for a day in February of 2020 before being waived. Thomas then spent time with the American National team, signed with the Grand Rapids Gold of the G-League in an attempt to re-launch his career, and ultimately landed back with LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers, in a move that served as a double-reunion.

Signed to a 10-day contract, Thomas averaged 9.3 points, 1.5 assists, and two rebounds a night in 25.2 minutes of action. He hit an average of 30.8 percent of his shots from the field, including 22.7 percent from 3 on 5.5 attempts per game, and finished out his run with a +/- of -5.8, which isn’t all his fault but certainly isn’t not all his fault either, if you know what I mean.

Factor in Thomas’ inability to play defense at even an average level, as his career RAPTOR ratings would suggest, and it’s no wonder the Lakers opted against signing the 32-year-old to another 10-day contract, with the team instead coaxing Darren Collison out of retirement on a 10-day contract, in addition to journeyman wing Stanley Johnson.

So naturally, with Tyler Johnson’s 10-day contract set to expire on January 1st, should the Philadelphia 76ers take a swing at their once division rival?

No, no, they shouldn’t.

While Thomas can score points, he typically gives up more than he puts up when on the court and isn’t the sort of passer who would help to facilitate a post-centric offense. At best, he’s a much smaller version of Shake Milton, who is technically stuck in COVID protocol but will eventually be back on the court in the not too distant future.

For my money, I’d rather add a reserve point guard like Villanova legend Ryan Arcidiacono, who currently leads the G-League in assists per game and would provide the team with a different look that could pay dividends down the line when more team-building opportunities open up.

Will Isaiah Thomas get another opportunity to test his mettle at the NBA level? Well, if you believe Yardbarker, he is expected to have multiple suitors lining up for his services, but one of those teams probably shouldn’t be the Philadelphia 76ers. While having a bench that scores one point in an NBA game is bad, having one that scores 10 but gives up 16 would be even worse. Look for a big wing who can log snaps at small forward or a point guard who can set up Joel Embiid in the paint.