Isaiah Thomas’ availability for training camp remains in question as he continues to work his way back from hip surgery, according to Nuggets reporter Christopher Dempsey of Altitude Sports.
Asked about Thomas’ recovery, Denver Nuggets President of Basketball Operations Tim Connelly said Thomas is progressing but won’t be rushed back.
Isaiah Thomas continues to rehab from arthroscopic hip surgery in March. His availability for training camp next week remains in question. Here is Tim Connelly, #Nuggets President of Basketball Ops, on Thomas' status during an interview for Wednesday's Nuggets 360 on @AltitudeTV pic.twitter.com/E6192yk46N
— Chris Dempsey (@chrisadempsey) September 18, 2018
“We’ll see. Like all of our guys, we want to be especially sensitive to Isaiah,” Connelly said. “I think he probably has rushed back [in the past]. We want Isaiah to be right. So, he’s working his butt off a couple times a day with our guys. He’s getting better by the day. But we’re not trying to win the preseason. Whenever he’s ready, he’ll be out there and I’m sure he’ll be impactful.”
Thomas, who played in just 32 games last season for the Cleveland Cavaliers and Los Angeles Lakers, had had arthroscopic hip surgery back in March. The two-time All-Star signed with the Nuggets on July 12.
Thomas, the 60th and last pick of the 2011 NBA Draft, made a name for himself as a clutch scorer with the Boston Celtics after his previous two teams (Sacramento and Phoenix) parted ways with him. In two-and-a-half seasons with Boston, the 5-foot-9 guard averaged 24.7 points and six assists per game. In 2016-17, Thomas was the driving force behind the Celtics’ run to the Eastern Conference Finals while earning All-NBA Second Team honors along the way.
That playoff run ended, however, with a hip injury that lingered well past Boston dealing him to Cleveland in exchange for Kyrie Irving. Thomas played just 15 games for the Cavaliers before he was again dealt, this time to the Los Angeles Lakers. He suited up in 17 games for the Lakers before hip surgery ended a season in which he shot just 37.3 percent.
Over the summer, the Nuggets re-signed star center Nikola Jokic and sixth man Will Barton to a long-term contracts on July 9, roughly two weeks after drafting Michael Porter Jr. with the No. 14 pick in the 2018 NBA Draft.
Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.
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