New Orleans Pelicans

Isaiah Thomas' stint with the New Orleans Pelicans is reportedly going to be a short one. 

Per ESPN's Andrew Lopez, the Pelicans are not going to renew Thomas' deal after his 10-day contract expired Tuesday. 

Lopez did note the Pelicans could attempt to re-sign Thomas at some point, but they are currently exploring the market in the wake of recent injuries to Josh Hart and Nickeil Alexander-Walker.

Head coach Stan Van Gundy told reporters Hart would miss "the vast majority of what’s left of the season" after tearing a ligament in his thumb during an April 1 game against the Orlando Magic. 

Alexander-Walker was diagnosed with a moderate left ankle sprain April 6. He will be out of action for at least two weeks. 

Thomas signed his 10-day contract with the Pelicans on April 3. He had been a free agent since February 2020 after being waived by the Los Angeles Clippers following a midseason trade from the Washington Wizards. 

New Orleans announced the day after Thomas signed with the team that he was unavailable to play due to the NBA's health and safety protocols. 

Thomas did appear in three games over the past week. He averaged 7.7 points per contest off the bench, but he only shot 33.3 percent from the field and made three of 12 attempts from three-point range. 

The Pelicans (25-29) are currently the No. 11 seed in the Western Conference standings. They trail the Golden State Warriors by one game for the final spot in the play-in tournament. 

New Orleans Pelicans head coach Stan Van Gundy said they decided to give forward Zion Williamson a full-game audition as their primary ball-handler with guard Lonzo Ball sidelined by a hip injury, and he was pleased with the results.

"He played the game the way you're supposed to play the game. He was just tremendous," Van Gundy told reporters after Friday's 101-94 win over the Philadelphia 76ers.

Williamson finished the contest with 37 points, 15 rebounds and eight assists in 35 minutes.

The 2019 first overall pick has run the Pelicans' offense at times over his first two seasons, but Friday night marked the first time they gave the 6'7'', 284-pound superstar full control. He responded with one of the most impressive performances of his young career.

Van Gundy explained it's probably far from the last time fans will see Williamson running the point.

"We want to get him more experience with that stuff going forward because I think that's where his future is in this game. I really do," he said. "He just needs reps and more and more and we've increased it throughout the year giving him more and more opportunities. We'd like to give him more going forward. We'll try to build some more things for him."

The 2021 All-Star selection is enjoying a terrific second NBA season. He's averaging 26.5 points, 7.1 rebounds and 3.6 assists while shooting 61.7 percent from the field, making him the only non-center inside the top 10 of field-goal percentage.

Williamson, who's a consistent three-point shot away from being virtually unstoppable, said he didn't feel out of place running the offense.

"It just feels natural to me," the Duke product said. "I've been playing the game since I was four. At this point, it just feels natural. I'm still learning, but certain things just feel natural."

Ball recently missed seven games with a left hip flexor strain and, after a three-game return to the lineup, he was back on the sideline Friday.

It's an injury the Pelicans will probably have to manage during the stretch run of the regular season, likely opening the door for plenty of point guard minutes for Williamson. Based on Friday night, that's bad news for the other teams in the hunt for the final playoff berths in the Western Conference.

New Orleans (23-29) is one game behind the Golden State Warriors (24-28) for the 10th seed in the West, which is the final spot in the play-in tournament before the playoffs. Those two teams will play three times over their last eight regular-season games in May.

Williamson and the Pelicans are back in action Sunday when they visit Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse to face off with the Cleveland Cavaliers (19-32).

New Orleans Pelicans guard Isaiah Thomas is back in the NBA after last playing on Feb 3, 2020, and the layoff may as well have brought him back to the beginning of his career. 

The 32-year-old came off the bench on Tuesday against the Atlanta Hawks after signing a 10-day contract with New Orleans earlier this week. He posted 10 points, two rebounds and two assists over 25 minutes in his Pels debut.

"I feel like a rookie all over again," Thomas told reporters after the 123-107 loss.

Thomas has struggled with hip issues in the latter part of his career but said he didn't feel feel the need to ice his lower body despite playing nearly half the game. The guard said he hopes to draw back into the lineup on Wednesday when the Pels travel to Brooklyn to face the Nets.

After playing with Team USA earlier this year and proving he is healthy, Thomas was looking for any chance to prove he could still play in the NBA. An injury-plagued New Orleans depth chart made it signing the former Boston Celtics star a worthy addition.

Nickeil Alexander-Walker, Kira Lewis Jr. and Jaxson Hayes are all nursing various injuries, spreading the roster rather thin. Thomas certainly helps stabilize the backcourt for as long as he's on the floor. That was true against the Hawks on Tuesday—except for the fact Atlanta just couldn't miss from deep (20-of-31 3PT).

How long Thomas remains in New Orleans is as much up to him as it is the Pelicans injured list. If he continues to play well, Thomas can force his way into a contract for the rest of the season. Or—in another best-case scenario—convince another team to sign him after his 10 days in New Orleans are up.

Either way, his rookie mentality should serve him well in a role where nothing is guaranteed. 

Isaiah Thomas said he is more than fully recovered from the hip injury and subsequent surgery he had last May. 

Per ESPN's Andrew Lopez, Thomas told reporters on Tuesday that he was "102 percent" and "more than good" after undergoing a hip resurfacing procedure. 

"This is the best I ever felt since before I got injured," he said. "It's not even a question no more. Every day I wake up with a smile on my face because honestly I never thought I would feel this good again and feel back to normal. Physically I'm ready. Mentally I'm ready. And I'm just happy to really be here."

Thomas, who hasn't played in the NBA since February 2020, was limited by a hip issue in the 2016-17 campaign, and, as a result, he only appeared in 84 games over the next three seasons. 

In 40 games with the Washington Wizards last season, Thomas averaged 12.2 points on 40.8 percent shooting—his best shooting percentage since 2016-17—with 3.7 assists. 

He played two games with Team USA in February, and he said that opportunity helped kickstart his return to the league. He told reporters "four or five teams were calling" following those games. 

New Orleans signed him to a 10-day deal on Saturday, and his presence could be imperative to the team hanging on to any hopes of the postseason.

The 22-27 Pelicans, who are currently in 11th place in the Western Conference, are dealing with injuries to a number of bench players: Josh Hart, Nickeil Alexander-Walker and Kira Lewis are all hurt, while stars  Zion Williamson and Brandon Ingram have both missed the last three games.  

New Orleans Pelicans guard Isaiah Thomas will not play Sunday against the Houston Rockets as he works through the league's health and safety protocols, the team announced (h/t Marc J. Spears of The Undefeated). 

Thomas, who signed a 10-day contract with the team Saturday, is expected to join the group Monday. 

He has not played in the NBA since Feb. 3, 2020. 

Thomas' lack of availability is a tough blow for the Pelicans, who are missing five players because of injury. Stars Zion Williamson (right thumb strain) and Brandon Ingram (toe) have missed two consecutive games, while Lonzo Ball has missed the last seven with a hip strain.

All three are questionable for Sunday's game. 

Josh Hart is sidelined with a torn UCL in his thumb, while rookie Kira Lewis Jr. is battling a strained calf following a 21-point performance against the Atlanta Hawks on Friday. 

While Thomas has been out of the NBA for more than a year, he did play professionally last month, when he helped Team USA to a pair of victories over the Bahamas and Mexico. In his last NBA action, he averaged 12.2 points and 3.7 assists through 40 games with Washington. 

The two-time All-Star saw a decline in his career following his second-team All-NBA selection in 2017, when he suffered a hip injury. 

The 32-year-old will wear No. 24 when he eventually makes his Pelicans debut. 

Currently riding a two-game losing streak, the New Orleans Pelicans are going to get a boost Sunday with the return of Lonzo Ball. 

Head coach Stan Van Gundy told reporters that Ball will play against the Houston Rockets after missing the past seven games with a hip injury.

Ball last played on March 18 against the Portland Trail Blazers. He was diagnosed with a strained hip flexor prior to New Orleans' game with the Denver Nuggets. 

The Pelicans didn't specify a return date but continued to list Ball as day-to-day. They have gone 4-3 during this seven-game stretch without the 23-year-old. 

Nickeil Alexander-Walker moved into the starting lineup with Ball unavailable. He's averaged 18.9 points, 5.4 rebounds and 2.7 assists over the past seven games. 

Ball has started all 38 games he's played in 2020-21. The UCLA alum is averaging a career-high 14.2 points and is shooting 38.5 percent from three-point range. 

The Pelicans (21-27) enter Sunday's game percentage points behind the Sacramento Kings for 11th in the Western Conference standings. They trail the Golden State Warriors by 1.5 games for the final spot in the play-in tournament. 

Isaiah Thomas is getting another chance at playing in the NBA and will honor Kobe Bryant in the process.

After the guard signed a 10-day contract with the New Orleans Pelicans on Friday, the team announced he'll wear No. 24 Saturday. Thomas retweeted the announcement and shouted out Bryant:

Thomas has been out of the league since February 2020 but did appear on Team USA during FIBA qualifying victories over the Bahamas and Mexico a few weeks ago. The 32-year-old showed he was healthy and still able to make plays at a high level. He just needs to prove it in the NBA. 

A Pelicans team weathering a few injuries gave him that opportunity. 

Thomas averaged 12.2 points, 3.7 assists and 1.7 rebounds over 40 games with the Wizards in 2019-20. If he gets anywhere near those marks with New Orleans, he can expect to stick around longer than 10 days. 

The New Orleans Pelicans are reportedly set to sign free-agent point guard Isaiah Thomas to a 10-day contract, per Shams Charania of Stadium and The Athletic. 

Here's a look at the Pelicans' updated depth chart with the addition of Thomas:

• PG: Lonzo Ball, Kira Lewis Jr., Isaiah Thomas
• SG: Eric Bledsoe, Nickeil Alexander-Walker
• SF: Brandon Ingram, Josh Hart, Wes Iwundu, Naji Marshall
• PF: Zion Williamson, James Johnson, Wenyen Gabriel
• C: Steven Adams, Jaxson Hayes, Willy Hernangomez, Will Magnay

Williamson, Ingram, Ball and Hart have all recently been sidelined by injuries.

Thomas played for the United States national team in February's qualifying games for the 2022 FIBA AmeriCup. He combined for 28 points, five assists, four rebounds and four threes in 42 minutes as part of victories over Mexico and the Bahamas.

The 32-year-old University of Washington product, who last played in the NBA with the Washington Wizards for the first half of the 2019-20 season, told Howard Beck of Sports Illustrated he wanted to showcase he's back to full strength after lingering concerns about his prior hip injuries.

"I'm moving like I did before the injury and that was the biggest thing I wanted to show people—that I didn't lose a step," Thomas said. "I'm still quick and fast. I'm still powerful. I'm able to move again."

Thomas finished sixth in NBA MVP voting after averaging 28.9 points, 5.9 assists, 3.2 threes and 2.7 rebounds for the Boston Celtics during the 2016-17 season.

Questions about the health of his hip delayed his trade to the Cleveland Cavaliers in August 2017. The deal eventually went through but he's never been able to reach that All-Star level since leaving Boston.

Thomas explained he felt pressure to get back on the floor as quickly as possible in Cleveland since his contract was set to expire after the 2017-18 campaign.

"If I could do it over again, I would have got the surgery and sat out that season, and then bet on myself in free agency," Thomas told Beck. "I was afraid of, I guess, having to sit so long going into my contract. At the end of the day, I was trying to get paid."

Now he'll try to establish himself as an impact player again while on the 10-day contract with New Orleans. He could see significant minutes right out of the gate as Ball remains without a timetable for his return from his own hip injury.

It's unclear when Thomas will make his team debut as he must clear the NBA's COVID-19 protocols and then get up to full speed with the offense.

After Friday's game against the Atlanta Hawks, the Pelicans' upcoming games include Sunday vs. the Houston Rockets, a return matchup with the Hawks on Tuesday and a clash with the Brooklyn Nets on Wednesday.

New Orleans Pelicans forward Zion Williamson will miss Thursday's game against the Orlando Magic with a right thumb sprain. 

The second-year star is averaging 26.4 points, 7.1 rebounds and 3.5 assists through 44 appearances for the Pelicans, having missed just two games this year because of COVID-19 protocols and a toe injury.

Williamson suffered a sprained thumb against the Boston Celtics at the end of March, though the injury wasn't as bad as initially feared.

The 20-year-old's durability this season—a year after he only appeared in 24 games as a rookie as he recovered from surgery for a torn meniscus—has been a huge positive for New Orleans, which sits at 21-25, good for the 12th seed in a tough Western Conference.

Without him, expect Brandon Ingram (23.2 points per game) to carry the New Orleans offense. Josh Hart, who has averaged 9.1 points and 7.8 rebounds through 46 appearances, should also see more time while Williamson is out of the lineup. 

New Orleans Pelicans star Zion Williamson suffered a sprained thumb in a 115-109 win over the Boston Celtics on Monday, but ESPN's Andrew Lopez reported that he "avoided a serious injury" and "shouldn’t miss much—if any—time."

Despite missing a game with a toe injury, the Duke product has been generally healthy this season. That stands in contrast to his rookie campaign when he played just 24 games due to a torn meniscus.

Williamson made the All-Star Game this season and is averaging 26.4 points, 7.1 rebounds and 3.5 assists per game as a dominant force who can overpower defenders on his way to the rim and soar through the air when given the smallest opening.

However, the 20-year-old is also the franchise building block in New Orleans, so the team may exercise even more caution than usual with any physical setback.

Brandon Ingram will be tasked with serving as the go-to option if Williamson is sidelined, and Jaxson Hayes will likely see more time in the frontcourt.