Ladies and gentlemen, we're in the suck. We've reached the point of the Utah Jazz season where the team and the fandom are looking for anything to latch onto narratively to keep people invested and engaged. The Utah Jazz have opted to go with the "All-Star attempts comeback attempt" narrative. Respect.
Sarcasm aside, this is sort of exciting. The Utah Jazz have assigned former All-Star Isaiah Thomas to the Salt Lake City Stars, the Utah Jazz's G-League affiliate. This now means that Thomas is in line to play for the Jazz should he show out with the G-League. At 35-year-olds, and after a history of injuries that derailed his career, it's unlikely that Thomas would get meaningful minutes from a team still in the mix, but the Jazz would be the perfect team for him to flex his skillset.
In pursuit of NBA return for stretch run, 11-year veteran Isaiah Thomas is joining the Utah Jazz’s G League affiliate Salt Lake City Stars, sources tell @TheAthletic @Stadium. The two-time All-Star could be another guard option in marketplace.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) March 5, 2024
Sincerely, this is a good move. Thomas coming in will mean several things for the franchise as a whole. Firstly, it means the Stars get more eyes on them. If we know anything from pro wrestling or the world of combat sports in general, it's that guys who have name value will draw fans. Why else is Mike Tyson fighting Jake Paul?
This is great for the Stars, who had a lot of eyes on them as Taylor Hendricks and Brice Sensabaugh played quite a bit of basketball for them earlier this season. Now that Thomas is with the Stars, more eyes will be on them to close out their G-League season.
Not only that but should Thomas play well enough, the Jazz could bring him up for some minutes. Fans love seeing vets of his name-value come in and show up, even for a few games. Who knows if Thomas has "it" anymore, but if he can still score, he may bring some much needed excitement to the Jazz as the season comes to a close.