Isaiah Thomas: 'My Ultimate Goal Is to Play in the NBA as Soon as Possible'

Former NBA All-Star Isaiah Thomas is hoping to return to the league for the first time since being waived by the Los Angeles Clippers in February 2020.

Speaking to Tim Reynolds of the Associated Press, Thomas said his "ultimate goal is to play in the NBA as soon as possible."

Thomas will play for USA Basketball in the FIBA AmeriCup qualifying games in Puerto Rico starting Friday.

"This allows me to compete against other professionals, represent my country at the same time—which is an honor and a privilege—and ultimately show NBA teams that I'm back to myself and I'm 100 percent healthy. That's why I chose to come here," he said of representing the United States. "When Team USA brought it to me, it was a no-brainer."

Thomas was one of the best scoring guards in the NBA during his stint with the Boston Celtics from 2015 to 2017. He made the Eastern Conference All-Star team in 2016 and 2017, and he finished fifth in NBA MVP voting for the 2016-17 season when he averaged 28.9 points per game.

Since being traded to the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2017 as part of the deal for Kyrie Irving, Thomas has fallen off the radar because of a series of injuries that have prevented him from playing. The 32-year-old had hip surgery in 2018 after being dealt to the Los Angeles Lakers.

Nearly one year after that surgery, Thomas made his 2018-19 season debut for the Denver Nuggets on Feb. 13, 2019. He appeared in 12 games off the bench and didn't play in the postseason.

Thomas signed with the Washington Wizards before the start of last season. He played in 40 games and averaged 12.2 points with a 41.3 three-point percentage, but Washington traded him to the Clippers in February as part of a three-team deal with the New York Knicks that sent Marcus Morris Sr. to Los Angeles. The Clippers then waived him.

USA Basketball announced last month that Thomas was included on the final roster for the AmeriCup qualifying games. The U.S. has already qualified for the tournament.