Former Charlotte Hornets point guard expresses interest in new deal with team

Veteran NBA guard Isaiah Thomas revealed on social media that he’d love a chance to be a reserve point guard for the Charlotte Hornets this season.

Thomas, who last played in the NBA in the 2021-22 season for Charlotte, did not play for a team in the 2022-23 season.

After making an All-NBA team in the 2016-17 season with the Boston Celtics, Thomas has bounced around the NBA. A hip injury threw a wrench into his prime years, but he’s shown he can be a serviceable bench piece at certain stops since he was traded from Boston.

Since the start of the 2017-18 season, Thomas has played for the Cleveland Cavaliers, Los Angeles Lakers, Denver Nuggets, Washington Wizards, New Orleans Pelicans, Dallas Mavericks and Charlotte.

The Hornets currently have LaMelo Ball entrenched as their starting point guard. Behind him, the team has youngster Nick Smith Jr. and veteran Edmond Sumner.

The team could also play guard Terry Rozier at the point guard position, but he usually starts alongside Ball in the backcourt. Ball missed time due to injury last season, appearing in just 36 games.

Thomas would provide a steady veteran presence to a young Charlotte team that was one of the worst squads in the NBA last season. Charlotte was able to add to its young core by taking forward Brandon Miller with the No. 2 overall pick in the 2023 NBA Draft.

During the 2021-22 season, Thomas appeared in 17 games for the Hornets, averaging 12.9 minutes per game.

In those 17 games, Thomas averaged 8.3 points, 1.2 rebounds and 1.4 assists per game while shooting 43.3 percent from the field and 39.7 percent from beyond the arc.

While he’s a smaller guard that has his limitations on defense, Thomas showed during the 2021-22 season that he may still be able to score the ball efficiently.

It’s unclear if the Hornets would even explore Thomas as an option, but it’s possible the team would make a move if there were to be an injury to one of its guards early on in the season.

Charlotte opens its 2023-24 season on Wednesday, Oct. 25 at home against the Atlanta Hawks. The team is surely hoping that some of its young players can exceed expectations so it can make the playoffs this season.