Nets News: Lance Thomas Signs Contract as Substitute Player for NBA Restart

Forward Lance Thomas is the newest member of the Brooklyn Nets.  

The team announced the signing of Thomas as a substitute player for the NBA restart on Tuesday. He'll be eligible to play immediately. 

A 32-year-old Duke product, Thomas most recently played across town for the New York Knicks where he averaged 4.5 points and 2.5 rebounds in 17 minutes per game. New York waived him in late June after five seasons despite previously naming him a co-captain in 2017.

Brooklyn marks the fourth NBA stop for Thomas and it could certainly use the help.

The Nets needed to add reinforcements to their roster as quickly as possible with a number of rotation players opting out of the restart for various reasons. Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving will remain out while continuing to rehab their respective Achilles and shoulder injuries. Both DeAndre Jordan and Spencer Dinwiddie tested positive for COVID-19 and will not travel to the league's bubble in the Orlando, Florida area. Wilson Chandler told ESPN's Malika Andrews he opted-out over concerns for the health and safety of his family.

That left Brooklyn without four of its nine most-used players in the middle of a playoff race. 

While the Nets (30-34) are entering the restart in seventh place in the Eastern Conference, they're only half a game up on the Orlando Magic with eight games to play. Should they fail to clinch the seventh seed, they'll need to secure the eighth seed by at least five games in order to avoid a play-in tournament with the ninth-place team. In that scenario, Brooklyn would need to win one game before the ninth-place team wins two games to secure a spot in the postseason. 

Thomas is hoping he can help the Nets avoid that situation. Brooklyn still has Joe Harris, Taurean Prince, Caris LeVert, Garrett Temple and Jarrett Allen all available, but needs experienced players to help out off the bench for at least the next eight games. 

The Nets resume their season on Friday, July 31 against Orlando at 1:30 p.m. EST.