Boston Celtics: The case to sign Isaiah Thomas this offseason

The Boston Celtics need to fill out the roster this offseason but don’t have a ton of cap space to do so.

What better way to add depth than to bring back a fan favorite?

Isaiah Thomas was never the same after leaving Boston. Why not give him a chance to make an impact in a different role?

Marcus Smart will likely be the starting point guard next season, followed by Payton Pritchard off the bench. If Thomas is willing to take a very small role, there’s no reason for Brad Stevens not to bring him back.

According to Thomas himself, he is feeling better than ever after having surgery done on his hip. He spoke about his health on the All the Smoke podcast with Stephen Jackson and Matt Barnes.

Thomas mentioned that the surgery helped him to feel like himself again.

He even made a small comeback last year when he signed a 10-day contract with the Pelicans.

He played in three games with New Orleans, averaging 7.7 points in 16 minutes per game. Though he didn’t make a huge impact, he showed that he’s capable of keeping up at the NBA level still.

If the Boston Celtics were to bring him back, he would have to be comfortable taking a super small role.

Both Smart and Pritchard deserve to be above him in the depth chart.

He would take on a leadership role in the locker room and could have a huge impact on some of the younger players since he has experience playing in Boston.

Another reason why the time could be right for Thomas to return is the recent changes to the front office. With Brad Stevens in charge, there’s even more of a reason to make this move happen.

When Danny Ainge traded Thomas to the Cavaliers, the sense of trust between the two was completely broken. Thomas has gone on record saying he wishes the Celtics handled things differently in regard to the trade and his injury.

However, now that Ainge is no longer the President of Basketball Operations, Thomas might feel more comfortable returning.

It would definitely make the city of Boston very happy.

So while the Boston Celtics search for players to fill out the roster, keep Thomas’ name in mind.

A reunion between him and the city could be the spark the Celtics need to get back to the top of the Eastern Conference next season.