Isaiah Thomas Says Goal Is to Prove He's Healthy When Asked About Max Contract

Denver Nuggets point guard Isaiah Thomas said he's focused on proving he's healthy after signing a one-year, $2 million contract with the organization.

On Thursday, TMZ Sports provided comments from Thomas about joining the Nuggets for the veteran's minimum following years of expressing desire to receive a max contract.

"The goal is just to show that I'm healthy and I'm the same player I was before," he said. "…I just need one year."

The 29-year-old Washington native also made a bold prediction about Denver's ability to contend in the highly competitive Western Conference.

"We'll make the playoffs ... and then we'll go from there," Thomas told TMZ Sports.

The guard was on track to land a lucrative contract before a hip injury worsened to the point where he was ruled out for the season during the 2017 NBA playoffs with the Boston Celtics.

Thomas told Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN.com he tried to push through the pain until he "literally couldn't play anymore," and it's had a negative impact on his career.

"If I didn't play in the playoffs, I'd be OK," he said. "I'd be getting paid. I'd be who I am—who I was. But you couldn't tell me in that moment in time—with everything I was going through—that, OK, I should just sit out. I don't think Boston went about it the right way as well."

Isaiah Thomas Game Highlights

Thomas averaged 28.9 points, 5.9 assists and 2.7 rebounds while shooting 37.9 percent from three-point range during the 2016-17 regular season. He ranked seventh in the NBA in player efficiency rating (26.59).

His numbers dropped off dramatically this past season. He didn't debut for the Cleveland Cavaliers until January following an offseason trade and was then dealt to the Los Angeles Lakers in February. He averaged 15.2 points and 4.8 assists while shooting 37.3 percent from the field (29.3 percent from three) in 32 games.

Thomas will operate as the chief reserve behind Jamal Murray and Gary Harris in the Denver backcourt. A return to form in that role would put him in position to receive more financial security next offseason, but it's highly unlikely he'll get back in line for a max deal.