Lakers News: Isaiah Thomas Leaves Team to Evaluate Options for Hip Injury

Los Angeles Lakers point guard Isaiah Thomas left the team in order to seek medical opinions on his injured hip, Spectrum SportsNet's Mike Trudell reported Monday. 

According to Trudell, Thomas has been dealing with soreness in his hip and will travel to New York to see what options are available to alleviate the pain.

Since Thomas' hip continues to bother him, shutting him down for the remainder of the season may be the best approach.

The Lakers aren't mathematically eliminated from playoff contention, but they're nine games back of the eighth-seeded Utah Jazz with 10 games left. There's little reason for Thomas to jeopardize his health any further.

Playing through a hip injury is how Thomas got himself to this point. Prior to the 2017 playoffs, the two-time All-Star was in line to potentially command a max contract in free agency this summer. Instead, he has become a cautionary tale for any star-level player who's battling a lingering injury.

The hip issue prevented Thomas from making his 2017-18 debut until the Cleveland Cavaliers' 127-110 win over the Portland Trail Blazers on Jan. 2 and has been a shell of his old self upon returning. Between his time with Cleveland and Los Angeles, he's averaging 15.2 points and 4.8 assists and shooting 29.3 percent from three-point range.

Between his poor performance and the fact his hip remains a problem, this season has essentially represented a worst-case scenario for Thomas.