Thomas is a looking for a new team after the Clippers waived him in February.
Free-agent guard Isaiah Thomas said he will be ready to contribute to an NBA team next season after revealing he underwent a hip resurfacing procedure in May.
Thomas has been plagued by hip issues over the past three years and was constantly favoring his right side until he decided to undergo surgery.
“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.
“Now, I can lift weights. I can squat low. I can work out twice a day. I’m able to cut and move and stop, able to cut and go. I feel like I’m 31 years old again. And now, I have scientific evidence to show that.”
The point guard’s hip issues started with an injury during the 2016-17 playoffs with the Celtics. Following the playoffs, Thomas was traded to the Cavaliers, and he now thinks he returned to competition too quickly in Cleveland. The 31-year-old continued to struggle with hip pain over the years as he bounced around to the Lakers, Nuggets and Wizards.
Thomas played in 40 games with Washington until the team traded him in February to the Clippers. His stint in Los Angeles was cut short when the organization waived him later that month. He spent the remainder of the season unsigned.
With his surgery behind him, Thomas wants to show teams that he’s ready to return and find a new home for the 2020-21 season.
“In some ways, the time off because of COVID was a blessing in disguise for my career,” Thomas said. “It allowed me to take the time to get this procedure done, and get back physically to a level I need to be to compete in the league. I made the right decision to do this, and I’m anxious to show people I can contribute to a team again.”
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