ESPN Confirm Trade: Boston Celtics Head Coach Joe Mazzulla Has Announced The Coming Of Elite Signing….

The former 2017 MVP candidate is back in the NBA after signing with thes Utah Jazz’G League affiliate.

Two-time All-Star Isaiah Thomas is back in the NBA after signing with the Utah Jazz’s G League affiliate, the Salt Lake City Stars.

Thomas, 35, was last in the NBA in 2022, where the guard played 17 games with the Charlotte Hornets. The veteran averaged 8.3 points, shooting 43.3 percent from the field and 39.7 from three, in 12.9 minutes per contest.

Prior to Charlotte, Thomas has bounced around with short stints from the Dallas Mavericks, Los Angeles Lakers twice, and Denver Nuggets, including their G League affiliate Grand Rapids Gold. He also spent some time with the Washington Wizards and New Orleans Pelicans, all since being dealt to the Cleveland Cavaliers from the Boston Celtics in the blockbuster deal for Kyrie Irving in the summer of 2017.

Since his multiple All-Star seasons in Boston averaging 24.7 points, with his famous 2017 top-five MVP campaign of 28.9 points, 5.9 assists, shooting 46.3 percent, and 37.9 from three, Thomas has loudly voiced the urge for more opportunity to prove those capabilities still remain. He was also the best fourth quarter scorer in the NBA in 2016–17, slating his name as one of the best performers of all time in the final period next to Kobe Bryant.

Thomas was traded to Cleveland by former Celtics general manager Danny Ainge, who had concerns about Thomas’ bad hip injury in his desire for Irving. Before reportedly burying the hatchet with Ainge, Thomas was unhappy with his former President of Basketball Operations, as the two now reunite in Utah.

The former MVP candidate has not been the same since his severe hip injury. Thomas has the chance to produce and receive gauging interest on the open marketplace.

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The Celtics have claimed a tier of their own in the Eastern Conference, holding a firm lead on the top seed with no suggestion that they will fall off over the remainder of the season. It’s been the opposite for the Cavs, who haven’t been able to recreate their successful surge since the All-Star break.

When the Cavs were able to have success during a six-week stretch without Darius Garland and Evan Mobley, they leaned on role players to step up each night against lesser competition. Now, a similar test poses itself as Donovan Mitchell will miss at least the next three games after getting a Platelet-Rich Plasma (PRP) injection to treat a left knee bone bruise that has sidelined him for the previous two games. But this battle against injuries will take place as the Cavs face playoff contenders and potential postseason matchups without their star player.

The Cavs have the opportunity to show pride against the Celtics after suffering a disappointing defeat on their home turf on Sunday to the same team that knocked them out of the playoffs last year in the New York Knicks.

With the Celtics’ big man Kristaps Porziņģis listed as questionable for Tuesday’s game, the Cavs can showcase the interior presence that they lacked against the Knicks in another matchup that should prove promising with their two 7-footers.

But the Cavs’ performance will be not only up to their mentality on the court, but who steps up as a leader as Max Strus, who is the lead-by-example type player for the Cavs, will miss his first game of the season against the Celtics. It’s a tall task for the Cavs against one of the best teams in the NBA, but the challenge is indicative of the entire month ahead.