NBA Rumors: Isaiah Thomas Reveals Why He Joined Washington Wizards In 2019 Free Agency

After spending the 2018-19 NBA season recovering from an injury and sitting on the Denver Nuggets’ bench, two-time NBA All-Star Isaiah Thomas was once again forced to sign a cheap contract as an unrestricted free agent. More than a week after the 2019 NBA free agency officially started, Thomas agreed to sign a one-year, $2.3 million contract to play for the Washington Wizards.

In an interview with Alex Kennedy of HoopsHype, Isaiah Thomas discussed several topics, including why he decided to choose the Wizards as his next landing spot. With starting point guard John Wall expected to spend the entire 2019-20 NBA season recovering from an injury, Thomas believes that signing with the Wizards will give him the opportunity to return to his All-Star form and rebuild his value.

“This free-agency period was all about opportunity. That’s what it came down to and what it was all about for me: being put in a position where I can be successful and having a big enough opportunity to show the world that I can still play at a high level. When the Wizards called and showed interest, with John Wall being out possibly the whole year, that seemed like a big opportunity for me to be able to showcase that I’m 100 percent healthy and that I can still play at the high level that I’m used to playing at.”

“When I met with the #Wizards last week, it was like they really wanted me and it was like a genuine want.”

Isaiah Thomas spoke with reporters last night in Vegas and says he’s ready to show that he’s healthy and can play at a high level: https://t.co/ilUXorcxMa

— Candace Buckner (@CandaceDBuckner) July 10, 2019

Without John Wall, Isaiah Thomas has a strong chance of becoming a starter and having a bigger role on the offensive end of the floor in Washington. Thomas may have been a disappointment in the past two seasons, but it’s worth noting that before he suffered an injury, he was a frontrunner to win the Most Valuable Player award and was a huge headache to Boston Celtics’ Eastern Conference rivals like the Wizards.

In his final season with the Celtics, Isaiah Thomas has posted incredible numbers, averaging 28.9 points and 5.9 assists on 46.3 percent shooting from the field and 37.9 percent shooting from beyond the arc. Thomas revealed that he’s already 100 percent healed and if he regains his All-Star form, he will undeniably be a huge help in the Wizards’ goal to return to the Eastern Conference Playoffs in the 2019-20 NBA season.

When he signed a contract with the Wizards, Isaiah Thomas revealed that he didn’t get any assurance that he will serve as the starting point guard while John Wall is still recovering from an injury. However, Thomas doesn’t seem to be concerned about the competition for the starting spot and confidently said that he will “win the battle.”