Isaiah Thomas laments NBA's culture of recency: 'My resume speaks for itself'
Los Angeles Lakers point guard Isaiah Thomas was dreaming about Brinks trucks full of cash last summer, but his situation changed dramatically.
Having suffered through a miserable season in which he dealt with a hip injury, there's reasonable doubt about Thomas receiving major money when he finally hits free agency next summer.
Thomas laments a culture of recency for his predicament.
"It is, 'What have you done for me lately?'" Thomas told Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPN. "That is the league that we are in and I understand that. But if I am given the same opportunity that I was given in Boston, I would do the same thing and that is just what it is. They'll come back around, I am positive about that."
Thomas averaged 28.9 points per game last season while leading the Boston Celtics to the No. 1 seed and an appearance in the Eastern Conference Finals. He looked to be in line for a maximum contract but was blindsided in the summer when he was dealt to the Cleveland Cavaliers.
He was nothing short of a disaster with the Cavaliers both on and off the court. Thomas shot less than 40 percent from the field, put up zero resistance on defense, and saw his scoring slashed in half. He also didn't see eye-to-eye with others in the locker room and kept making headlines for the wrong reasons. He was eventually dumped on the Lakers at the trade deadline.
Despite his recent struggles, Thomas is sure prospective suitors will hold his previous seasons with the Celtics more strongly than the most recent one.
"My resume speaks for itself. What I can do on the basketball floor speaks for itself," Thomas added. "I can't do nothing but control what I can control, and that is taking advantage of any opportunity that I am given and playing my heart out. But come July, I got to weigh my options to do what is best for myself and my family."
"All you need is one team to love you," Thomas said. "It's like the draft all over again. You just need one team. So that is all I am doing and working towards. Until then, I am focused on doing whatever I can to make this the best team possible."