Isaiah Thomas Reveals He Had Hip Surgery, Will Be Ready for 2020-21 Season

Isaiah Thomas is expected to be ready for the 2020-21 season after undergoing resurfacing surgery on his right hip, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic and Stadium. 

Thomas has been limited by hip problems over the past three years but believes he is now back to 100 percent.

"It's like night and day for me," Thomas told ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski. "There's no more pain. I've got my full range of motion. For three years, I was trying to play the best players in the world on one leg. I needed help from my kids to put my socks on in the morning."

The point guard played 40 games with the Washington Wizards last season before being traded to the Los Angeles Clippers. He was waived shortly after and went unsigned the rest of the season.

He underwent the procedure to heal his hip in May and is now seeking a new home for 2020-21.

Orthopedist Dr. Edwin Su performed the surgery and explained the difference it made:

"Before the surgery, you could see he was clearly favoring his right side; and that it was painful. It was natural to avoid pushing off and landing off (the left). Four months post-op, we are seeing higher loads and seeing symmetry between the right and left. Now, he's playing like he's eight months out from surgery, not just four. He's such a hard worker. He's moving quickly, and able to jump and pivot."

Thomas performed well when given the opportunity last season, averaging 12.2 points and 3.7 assists in 23.1 minutes per game for Washington. He shot a career-high 41.3 percent from three-point range.

It was an improvement after two injury-filled seasons where he played just 44 total games split between the Cleveland Cavaliers, Los Angeles Lakers and Denver Nuggets.

The 31-year-old is still trying to get back to the level he reached in 2016-17 when he averaged 28.9 points per game with the Boston Celtics. He was named second-team All-NBA that season while finishing fifth in MVP voting.

Thomas lifted the Celtics to the Eastern Conference Finals that year but suffered the hip injury during the playoff run, derailing his career.

The two-time All-Star believes he is now back on track to contribute at a high level.