Isaiah Thomas Shuts Down Rumor About Potential Overseas Contract Agreement

NBA veteran Isaiah Thomas shot down any possibility that he would consider playing overseas this upcoming season. 

The original report linking him to a potential move to CSKA Moscow turned out to be about a different Isaiah Thomas entirely:

Thomas, 32, is currently a free agent after he appeared in only three games for the New Orleans Pelicans last season. He averaged 7.7 points and 1.7 assists in 16 minutes per contest with the Pelicans.

The veteran was at the height of his powers in the 2016-17 season, when he averaged a career-high 28.9 points per game for the Boston Celtics and was both an All-Star and a second-team All-NBA selection. The Celtics traded him that offseason a deal for Kyrie Irving.

Between a series of injuries, declining play and waning interest in his services around the league, Thomas has appeared in only 87 games over the past four seasons, split between the Cleveland Cavaliers, Los Angeles Lakers, Denver Nuggets, Washington Wizards and the Pelicans. 

Thomas' ability to light up scoreboards during his prime made up for the fact that he was a defensive liability. But as his offensive numbers also have declined—he went from shooting 46.3 percent from the field in 2016-17 to 33.3 percent in his three games last year—his defensive deficiencies have grown more glaring. 

The Wizards did give him 37 starts in the 2019-20 season, and he averaged a solid 12.2 points and 3.7 assists while shooting 40.8 percent overall and 41.3 percent from three-point range with them. However, the Wizards also finished 25-47 that year.