Lakers guard Thomas still thinks he can land big deal

MIAMI Isaiah Thomas still feels like there’s time.

He’s four months away from free agency, the wheeling-anddealing period where — the way things were looking a year ago — he would be signing a contract worth well over US$100 million, ensuring himself a level of wealth that would be well beyond what the player picked last in the 2011 NBA draft should have reasonably expected. Nothing is certain now.

He has gone from a star in Boston to being cast aside in Cleveland and now finds himself as a backup with the Los Angeles Lakers, still trying to get healthy after hip surgery. If that wasn’t enough, there’s the added strain that what he does over these next few high-stakes weeks will go a long way in determining what he’ll earn and where he’ll play over the next few years.

“All you need is one team to love you,” Thomas said Thursday. “It’s like the draft all over again. You just need one team.”

Thomas averaged just under 29 points per game last season. He hasn’t scored more than 24 in any game this season, couldn’t get on the floor until January while recovering from the hip surgery and lasted only 15 games with the Cavaliers before getting traded to the Lakers in early February. Thomas was the main piece Cleveland got from Boston in the deal that sent Kyrie Irving to the Celtics, and his on-court Cavs tenure lasted about one month.

The Lakers want Thomas to mentor their young players, and they’re giving him rest and recovery time when he needs — mindful that he wants to go into this summer as healthy as possible.

In 21 games entering Thursday ’s game against Miami, Thomas averaged 14.3 points and 26 minutes. He’s shooting 37 per cent, almost 10 per cent down from where he was a year ago.