:format(webp)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/60254477/usa_today_10613550.0.jpg)
Of the 2,361 accounts that Isaiah Thomas follows on Twitter, there is only one NBA team that he hasn’t already played for and still follows: the Orlando Magic.
It is believed that Thomas, a free agent point guard, just followed the Magic, a team in need of a point guard, as recently as Monday.
And since we live in an era where the first evidence of free agency movement can be who an athlete follows, a photo they have liked, or a subtweet they have sent out, Thomas may have just publicly expressed his interest in the Orlando Magic.
Anybody know how long @isaiahthomas has been following the @OrlandoMagic? h/t @keanukargar with the eye on that follow #PureMagic pic.twitter.com/yOtW63YZHV
— David Baumann (@DavidBaumannORL) July 3, 2018
Isaiah Thomas followed the Orlando Magic on Twitter today. It seems Thomas wants to go somewhere he can play a lot, so Orlando makes a lot of sense. He'd get a lot of touches and the only other point guard on the roster is DJ Augustin. (h/t @DavidBaumannORL) pic.twitter.com/8woksGgAee
— Alex Kennedy (@AlexKennedyNBA) July 3, 2018
(Side note: a quick scroll through Thomas’ followers shows that he also follows many NBA players, including Aaron Gordon and Terrence Ross)
It’s unlikely that a rebuilding and financially-limited team like the Magic that is looking to develop its young players would offer Thomas the multi-year deal he is likely hoping for. If Thomas, who is coming off hip surgery, is looking for an opportunity to showcase himself and is willing to sign a one-year deal (perhaps with an option on the second year) in order to re-enter free agency in the summer of 2019 when more teams have cap room, it makes sense.
Orlando, with one point guard currently on the roster and a lack of shooters, offers Thomas an opportunity for plenty of minutes and plenty of shots. In return, Thomas gives the Magic an explosive scorer, playmaker and something of a marketable name.
The 29-year old Thomas averaged 15.2 points and 4.8 assists while shooting just over 37 percent from the floor. Those numbers, during an injury-riddles season in which he was traded from the Cavs to the Lakers, are a far cry from the averages he put up during his All-Star seasons in 2016, when he averaged 22.2 points, and 2017, when he averaged 28.9 points.
Would you welcome IT to Orlando? Join the conversation below...