By Johnny Askounis/ info@eurohoops.net
The Boston Celtics have reunited with one of their most beloved modern icons, hiring former All-Star point guard Isaiah Thomas as a pro and college scout.
The move, first reported by The Boston Globe, brings the 5-foot-9-inch fan favorite back to the organization nine years after his departure, setting up a new professional chapter. Thomas will be stationed out of his hometown of Seattle, providing crucial West Coast reinforcement to a regional scouting staff that already features executives in various other cities in the United States and Europe under the leadership of the president of basketball operations, Brad Stevens.
Thomas already began transitioning into the front-office role by joining executives at the NBA Draft Combine in Chicago. The C’s are utilizing this time to immerse the 37-year-old Washington native in their overall evaluation process as they interview upcoming prospects.
During his peak in Boston, Thomas enjoyed a spectacular stretch, making consecutive All-Star appearances and finishing fifth in MVP voting during the 2016-17 season. However, a severe hip injury that spring altered his trajectory, leading to a blockbuster trade to the Cleveland Cavaliers for Kyrie Irving and a subsequent journey through eight different teams over his final seven NBA seasons, most recently appearing in six games for the Phoenix Suns at the bottom end of the 2023-24 Regular Season.
Despite never formally retiring and recently contemplating a playing career in the EuroLeague, the veteran of 582 NBA games is now channeling his deep basketball intelligence into a scouting department for a franchise where he remains a legendary figure.