The Los Angeles Clippers acquired Isaiah Thomas in a trade with the Washington Wizards and the New York Knicks on Thursday. In addition to Thomas, the Clippers landed Marcus Morris from the Knicks.
The Wizards got Jerome Robinson while the Knicks received Moe Harkless and a 2020 first-round draft pick. However, the Clippers won’t keep Thomas, according to David Aldridge of The Athletic.
The Clippers will not be keeping Isaiah Thomas, acquired today from Washington in three-team deal with Knicks that brought Marcus Morris to LA and send Moe Harkless/picks to NYC, per league source.
— David Aldridge (@davidaldridgedc) February 6, 2020
Cutting Thomas will leave the Clippers with two open roster spots. They could fill those two spots with current free agents or with players who become available on the buyout market. Darren Collison could fill one of those spots.
The Clippers will have two open roster spots once they let go of Isaiah Thomas. Darren Collison remains a target…let's stay tuned for who else gets bought out though. https://t.co/lp5INDASZW
— Kevin O'Connor (@KevinOConnorNBA) February 6, 2020
Thomas will become a free agent. He can sign with any team that wants him. He’ll be eligible to play in the playoffs as long as he signs with a team by March 1. This season, Thomas is averaging 12.2 points and shooting a career-best 41.3 percent from three-point range.
So, where will Thomas go? One option could be the Boston Celtics. Thomas is a former Celtic so he knows the team and should fit in well. The Celtics didn’t make any moves before the trade deadline but they could use some scoring help and Thomas would provide that for them. The Celtics are near the bottom of the league in three-point shooting so Thomas would be a big help there, too. Thomas has said that he would return to the Celtics if the opportunity presented itself.
