Isaiah Thomas is a restricted free agent and as Carmelo Anthony, LeBron James, Chris Bosh and Chandler Parsons sort out free agency, Thomas is waiting in the wings and teams like the Miami Heat, Los Angeles Lakers, Phoenix Suns, Detroit Pistons and Dallas Mavericks could be targeting the Kings restricted star, as he is coming off of a career best year at the point guard position.
Thomas has been targeted by a number of teams this offseason, including the Pistons and Lakers, but everyone is in a holding pattern until Carmelo Anthony and LeBron James make their decisions. Thomas is coming off of a career year for the Kings, averaging 20.3 points and 6.3 assists for a very bad team and also shooting over 40 percent and now he could be poised to move, as he is in high demand on the market. Things have been slow to start, but once the rockets work out what they are doing and the big names of James and Melo sign, it's likely that someone will snatch up Thomas.
The Lakers are a prime destination for Thomas, as he has said that he was a fan when he was younger and on top of that, they have cap space to spend. The Lakers are all-in on Carmelo Anthony, but if he opts to sign with the Knicks or Bulls, it leaves a big opening and that could be for Thomas. The team needs an upgrade at point guard for Steve Nash, especially if he gets hurt again and Thomas could be that guy. He is young and likely will get a deal in the $6 million to $8 million range and that is affordable for the Lakers.
According to ESPN.com, Thomas was just the 29th player in the history of the league to average 20 points and six assists in the same season along with a 20.0 Player Efficiency Rating and that gives him a leg up in negotiations. Thomas may start negotiations now at around $7 million, as Greivis Vasquez signed back with the Raptors for just under that amount and that is around where he will be. The Kings have the right to match, but they are likely to let Thomas go if the deal gets too high.
The Detroit Pistons were one of the early teams to show interest, but now that they have signed Jodie Meeks they may not have enough money to add him as well. The team also has Brandon Jennings already and it wouldn't make sense to sign him unless they are planning on moving him. The Heat could look at Thomas if Chris Bosh signs with the Rockets and Carmelo goes back to New York, but that also could make things tight for LeBron James.
The Mavericks are a wild card in all of this and it's likely what they do will be dictated by the Rockets. The team gave Chandler Parsons an offer sheet and now the Rockets have three days to match it and if they do, the Mavs could go after Thomas. The Kings are in a tight position with Thomas, as the NBA rules say he can only be used in a sign and trade under very specific circumstances and those may not play out with Thomas this offseason.
