NBA Rumors: LA Lakers Could Send Troy Daniels & 2nd-Round Pick To Wizards For Isaiah Thomas, Per ‘The Ringer’
Veteran point guard Isaiah Thomas signed with the Washington Wizards in the 2019 NBA season with the goal of helping them make a huge noise in the Eastern Conference while waiting for John Wall to return from an injury. Unfortunately, as of now, the Wizards have struggled to consistently win games and are expected to suffer another disappointing season. Though he hasn’t shown any strong indication that he’s no longer happy in Washington, most people believe that Thomas is better off being traded to a legitimate title contender before the 2020 February NBA trade deadline than spending the rest of the 2019-20 NBA season with the Wizards.
One of the NBA teams who could express interest in acquiring Thomas is his former team, the Los Angeles Lakers. In a recent article, The Ringer staff created a list of two trades for every NBA team before the 2020 February NBA trade deadline. For the Lakers, The Ringer‘s Kevin O’Connor suggested that they could send Troy Daniels and a future second-round pick to the Wizards in exchange for Thomas.
“I.T.’s favorite player growing up was also Kobe, who became a mentor in recent years. Thomas still isn’t what he once was in Boston or Sacramento, but he’s far better than he was during his short stint with the Lakers in 2018. In Washington, he’s become a spark plug pick-and-roll playmaker and knockdown 3-point shooter. The Wizards would be doing Thomas a favor sending him to a contender, but Daniels could be a better fit off the bench once John Wall returns.”
Bringing back the “King in the Fourth” to Los Angeles makes a lot of sense for the Lakers. Though he remains a defensive liability, Thomas’ potential return would immediately address the Lakers’ need of another playmaker and shot-creator. Compared to his previous stint with the Purple and Gold, Thomas is now in better shape and has shown a massive improvement with his three-point shooting.
In the 40 games he played with the Wizards, Thomas is averaging 12.2 points and 3.7 assists while shooting 40.8 percent from the field and 41.3 percent from beyond the arc. Thomas may no longer be the player that once wreaked havoc in Boston but he would still be a huge help for the Lakers when the real battle begins in the 2020 NBA Playoffs.
Meanwhile, with the team not expected to contend for the 2020 NBA championship title, it might be the best move for the Wizards to trade Thomas’ expiring contract before the 2020 February NBA trade deadline than risk losing him in the 2020 NBA free agency without getting in return. The proposed trade deal with the Lakers would enable them to add a reliable shooter in their second unit in Daniels and a future draft pick that they could use to add more young and promising talent on their roster.
