Coming off a frustrating 2017-18 season, Isaiah Thomas will seek a return to his All-Star form with the Denver Nuggets.
According to ESPN.com's Adrian Wojnarowski, Thomas and the Nuggets agreed to terms Thursday on a one-year deal for the veteran's minimum.
Thomas developed into a superstar during two full seasons with the Boston Celtics. He averaged a career-high 28.9 points per game during the 2016-17 campaign, leading the Celtics to the best record in the Eastern Conference (53-29) in the process.
Things derailed for Thomas after he aggravated a hip injury in the playoffs. He sat out the final three games of Boston's loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers in the Eastern Conference Finals.
The Celtics traded him to the Cavs in August 2017 as part of the Kyrie Irving deal. After sitting out the season's first 36 games, the 29-year-old struggled in his return with 14.7 points per contest on 36.1 percent shooting.
The Cavaliers dealt Thomas to the Los Angeles Lakers at the Feb. 8 trade deadline. There was a slight improvement in his performance after the deal. He averaged 15.6 points per game and shot 38.3 percent.
Thomas told The Times’ Tania Ganguli in March that he wouldn’t mind returning to the team the following season, even in a backup role. The Lakers already have two point guards in Lonzo Ball, the team’s first-round draft pick in 2017, and veteran Rajon Rondo, who signed with L.A. earlier this month.
This is a high-reward, low-risk gamble for the Nuggets, who aspire to reach the Western Conference playoffs this season. For Thomas, it is a chance to re-establish himself on a winning team, stay healthy and re-enter free agency next summer.
The club also agreed to trade Kenneth Faried, Darrell Arthur, a 2019 protected first-round pick and a future second-rounder to the Brooklyn Nets for Isaiah Whitehead, reports Wojnarowski.
