Former Boston Celtics MVP candidate wants to be signed in free agency

Now that the Donovan Mitchell trade is complete, the NBA offseason can resume before the start of training camp at the end of the month. One team that has some work to do is the Boston Celtics, who for all we know may be done with their wheeling and dealing but have room to sign two more players before preseason play begins.

The offseason seemed complete once Kevin Durant and the Brooklyn Nets brain trust agreed to resume their partnership and end trade discussions for the 33-year-old 12x All-Star, but things have gotten slightly complicated in the last week.

Danilo Gallinari tore the left meniscus in his knee and is expected to miss time until mid-November, putting more of a scoring burden on Malcolm Brogdon, Derrick White, Grant Williams, and Payton Pritchard in the second unit.

Perhaps that can be addressed with the addition of a former Boston Celtics MVP candidate who retweeted Jamal Crawford’s message saying it’s ‘time to see some of these much-needed vets start signing!’ That’d be Isaiah Thomas, who last played for the Charlotte Hornets and is looking for a new home — and has hinted in the past few years that he’d consider a return to the team that launched his legacy as a top offensive option. And a starter, which he was not with the Phoenix Suns just prior to his trade to Boston.

When it comes to an Isaiah Thomas signing, forget the Boston Celtics depth chart

Yeah, yeah, we know that the Boston Celtics have Marcus Smart, Malcolm Brogdon, Derrick White, and Payton Pritchard are all options in the backcourt and may not even all survive the season in green. But forget the depth chart for a second here.

Signing the five-foot-nine messiah Isaiah Thomas means so much more than just adding a veteran third-string point guard.

Thomas represents the biggest regret of the Danny Ainge era, having been the main trade chip in the deal that brought Kyrie Irving to Boston. Re-signing him could bring balance back to the universe and open the door for the Cs to finally hoist Banner 18 in the TD Garden rafters.

At the very least, it would provide unmatched excitement every single time No. 4 steps onto the court from Celtics players who witnessed first-hand how great Thomas was as a clutch-time scorer and fans around the world that were inspired by the undersized floor general’s ability to overcome any size difference in a league where size matters.

Re-signing IT may just be the spark Boston needs considering their talent is practically unmatched around the league. Until he hangs them up for good, Hardwood Houdini will always be an advocate for Isaiah Thomas coming back.