Isaiah Thomas is a man on a mission next season as he aims to rebuild his career and get back to his best.The point guard officially signed his one-year, $2 million deal with the Denver Nuggets on Monday.Nobody could've envisioned the veteran getting such a small deal 12 months ago after he'd just come off a career year with the Boston Celtics.He publicly declared that he sees himself as a max contract player and wanted interested teams to "bring the Brinks truck out".But a torn labrum, multiple trades and then surgery on his hip ultimately saw his stock decrease dramatically over the last year.
Point to prove
Thomas didn't receive much interest this summer but he saw an opportunity with the Nuggets present itself and was keen to take advantage of it.
IT believes he's now in the perfect situation to prove that he's still an elite player in the NBA.
"The thing that I wanted was the opportunity to play, the opportunity to show who I am again, show the world what I bring to the table," Thomas told Nuggets.com's Chris Dempsey.
"And, at the same time, just being able to have that opportunity. I didn’t care about the money. I didn’t care about none of that.
"I cared about being able to showcase my skills and be in a good environment.
"I don’t know too many players on this team, but from the outside, looking in it seems like they love playing with each other and they love being around each other and they had a good atmosphere and I wanted to be a part of that."
The move to Denver reunites the 29-year-old with his former coach Mike Malone, who he worked with during his time with the Sacramento Kings.
Thomas will be a valuable member of the team's second unit as a backup to Jamal Murray but he'll have plenty of opportunities to show his offensive skills.
Given the familiarity he has with Malone, the two-time All-Star knows exactly what will be expected of him in the team's system.
"I think it fits my style perfectly," Thomas said of Malone's offence. "It’s a fast-paced offence, spread the floor; you’ve got one of the best big men in the NBA that can pass and make plays for others. And it’s all about space and opportunity."
"It was just a perfect fit from all angles and I’m just excited to be here and excited to help. That’s what I’m here to do."
If the Nuggets get anything close to the Celtics Isaiah of two years ago, this will turn out to be a shrewd bit of business.
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