The Boston Celtics are entering a retooling season. Therefore, they may struggle to contend in the Eastern Conference, especially due to the lack of depth in the front court.
It’s for that reason, NBC Sports Boston’s Max Lederman believes Brad Stevens should explore reuniting with Isaiah Thomas. The former Celtics fan-favorite is currently a free agent. Lederman recently explained how bringing back Thomas, either as a player or a coach, would provide the Celtics with some good karma.
“I’d pay Isaiah Thomas to be a part of the organization, either as a player or on the coaching staff,” Lederman wrote. “I never felt right about how things turned out for IT, and bringing him back to Boston would be good karma.”
Thomas isn’t the same player who helped galvanize and retool a young and re-tooled Celtics roster between 2014 and 2017. He never fully recovered from his hip injuries and struggled to get his burst and lift back. However, he still has significant cache with the Celtics fanbase.
Adding Thomas back to the roster, either as a player or coach, would certainly give Celtics fans an extra reason to cheer ahead of the upcoming season. Nevertheless, it’s unlikely that Thomas would make much of an impact on the Celtics’ upcoming season, although he would certainly provide somewhat of a feel-good factor.
Celtics’ Jayson Tatum Could Be Next American MVP
During his time with the Celtics, Thomas finished fifth in MVP voting for 2017. In recent years, Jayson Tatum has picked up that mantle, finishing fourth in MVP on two occasions in the last four years, and sixth on the other two occasions.
According to Chris Bosh, who was speaking with MassLive’s Souichi Terada at Mohegan Sun, Tatum is the most likely candidate to become the next American-born league MVP.
“Jayson Tatum, of course, but he’s got his injury,” Bosh said. “It’s really, really tough, especially with a thing like the MVP trophy. You saw who I teamed up with, so it’s very, very difficult. There is a section of young guys that the middle section, the guys in their mid-20s. It’s their time to put their stamp on the game.”
Tatum is expected to miss most, if not all, of the upcoming season. He suffered an Achilles tendon tear during the Eastern Conference semifinals. However, Bosh clearly believes Tatum can return to an All-NBA level once he’s eventually back on the court.
Jordan Walsh Provides Update on Celtics’ Tatum
During a recent appearance on the “Celtics Talk” podcast, Celtics forward Jordan Walsh provided a positive update on the All-Star’s recovery.
“We’ve seen him so often,” Walsh said. “I’ve seen him from when he messed up his Achilles to now, and it’s a big difference. He’s moving around way better. So, he’s progressing well. I’m definitely happy to see him getting back healthy. To see him in the gym definitely sets a precedent for everybody else. If a guy is hurt and trying to get back, then you can do the same thing. Like, you’re perfectly healthy, you should be doing the same thing.”
There’s no guarantee Tatum will be back during the 2025-26 campaign. However, Celtics fans will undoubtedly be hoping he can reach his previous level once he’s back on the court.
Only then will we know whether an MVP award could be in his future.
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