Former Celtics Star Admits Retirement is a 'Year or Two' Away

The NBA free agent pool has tried up as the offseason reaches the middle of July. While most of the big fish have already been caught, there are still several notable names available on the open market, including former Boston Celtics star Isaiah Thomas.

After playing the 2022-23 season on the sidelines, the 35-year-old point guard made six appearances with the Phoenix Suns last season. Unfortunately, Thomas looked like a shell of his former self as he averaged just 1.3 points on 30.0% shooting while playing 3.2 minutes per night. He played less than four minutes in his lone postseason appearance before the Suns opted not to re-sign him.

With his NBA outlook in a haze, it isn't shocking to learn that Thomas is admitting that he might not have much more left in the tank.

Celtics News: Isaiah Thomas Likely Retiring in Near Future

Thomas was in Las Vegas over the week to take in the Summer League action and spoke with ESPN's Cassidy Hubbarth about his playing future. The former two-time NBA All-Star reiterated that he's still a free agent and that his goal is to "play a year or two more."

Reading between the lines, it's clear that the former Washington product knows that his remaining time in the Association is limited.

According to Thomas, "a few teams" have reached out with interest, leaving him to decide which opportunity suits him best. The Tacoma, WA native has played games with 10 NBA franchises across his 13-year career, leaving him a handful of teams behind Ish Smith, who holds the record with 13.

But while the 5-foot-9 guard has provided several fanbases with memories, his best performances came when he was a Celtic from 2015 to 2017.

Thomas took the basketball world by storm during an unforgettable 2016-17 season. The former 2011 60th-overall selection averaged a career-high 28.9 points on .463/.379/.909 splits while adding 5.9 assists, 2.7 rebounds, and 0.9 steals. Not only was he named an All-Star for the second consecutive year, but he also finished fifth in the NBA MVP voting race.

Furthermore, he helped the Celtics reach the Eastern Conference Finals that year, averaging 23.3 PTS/6.7 AST/3.1 REB in 15 appearances.

Unfortunately, Thomas hasn't come close to matching those heights since leaving Boston. He's only averaged a double-digit point total twice since then and has been limited to fewer than 9.0 PPG in four of his last five seasons. As beloved as he is by Celtics fans, it's hard to imagine him having much of an impact anywhere he might go outside of being a locker-room presence.

The Celtics do have one roster spot available, making it intriguing to find out if they're one of Thomas' potential suitors. Even though he likely wouldn't move the needle when it comes to another championship run, it'd be nice to see Thomas end his career in the city where he achieved the most.

Besides, you can't blame Thomas if he wants to return to Boston. After all, the Celtics are currently FanDuel Sportsbook's +300 favorite to repeat as NBA Champions next season.

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