Isaiah Thomas to Remain with Nuggets; Won't Report for G-League Hip Injury Rehab

Denver Nuggets point guard Isaiah Thomas is moving closer to making his 2018-19 debut.

Shams Charania of The Athletic and Stadium reported on Friday that Thomas will make his way to the G League for a rehab assignment. However, The Athletic's Nick Kosmider later clarified that Thomas will remain with the Nuggets, as the organization was exploring the possibility of sending him to the G League in an effort to give him practice time.  

Thomas, who turned 30 on Thursday, has yet to appear in a game this season as he recovers from a hip injury.

ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski reported on Jan. 19 that there was optimism Thomas would make his debut prior to the All-Star break and that there was "strong confidence" that the veteran would be back on the court by Feb. 22 at the latest.

At that point, Thomas had yet to participate in five-on-five scrimmages.

Thomas is coming off a 2017-18 season in which he did not make his first appearance until Jan. 2 and was limited to 32 games overall as the result of his hip injury. He split time between the Cleveland Cavaliers and the Los Angeles Lakers last season.

His 2017-18 campaign came to an end when he underwent arthroscopic surgery on his right hip last March. His recovery timetable was expected to be four months.

Coming off surgery, Thomas settled for a one-year, $2 million deal with the Nuggets during the offseason.

Denver was quiet at the trade deadline, but the addition of a healthy Thomas could essentially have the same impact as a midseason acquisition.

The 5'9" point guard has averaged 18.9 points per game for his career, and he is just two years removed from averaging a career-high 28.9 points per game as a member of the Boston Celtics.

With Jamal Murray (18.5 points and 5.0 assists) running the point, the Nuggets (37-17) are currently in second place in the Western Conference, just 1.5 games back of the two-time defending champion Golden State Warriors. The addition of Thomas would add depth behind Murray alongside second-year guard Monte Morris.