The Dallas Mavericks have been dealing with a COVID outbreak for three weeks. Head coach Jason Kidd just entered the protocols on Friday, and Kristaps Porzingis has missed four straight games on the list. At one point, the Mavs had six replacement players on their roster, and many of them were in the rotation so the team could continue playing.
The Mavs signed Isaiah Thomas to a ten-day deal on Dec. 29 and immediately put him in the rotation. Luka Doncic and Trey Burke were joined in the protocols by replacement player Brandon Knight leaving Jalen Brunson as the only healthy point guard on the roster.
Thomas arrived in Sacramento and produced six points and four dimes in 13 minutes of action. He made three of his eight field goals after learning the Mavs playbook from the plane ride from Seattle to the California capital. Sadly, his stint in Dallas would last only one game as Thomas entered the health and safety protocols the next day. Marc Stein reported that the Mavs are not re-signing IT, but did he show enough to land another opportunity?
Thomas and Brandon Knight did not draw serious consideration to be signed for the rest of the season because the Mavericks’ roster is full. They already have 15 players under contract, and 12 of them have multiple years left on their deals.
Jalen Brunson, Dorian Finney-Smith, and Willie Cauley-Stein will be free agents this summer. JB and Doe-Doe are key cogs in the rotation that the Mavericks want to keep long-term. WCS is out dealing with a personal matter and could be a key salary filler if the Mavs plan on making a trade before the deadline.
There was no room for Isaiah Thomas in Dallas, but will he land another NBA opportunity elsewhere?