Suns coach Frank Vogel, Bradley Beal look forward to Isaiah Thomas reunion down stretch

Isaiah Thomas' infectious smile brightened his return at the Phoenix Suns shootaround before they hosted the Philadelphia 76ers on Wednesday. Happy to finally be back after nearly slipping toward obscurity from the NBA.

The 11-year veteran point guard officially rejoined the Suns on a 10-day deal on Wednesday, after 10 years away from the team, and was available against the 76ers Wednesday, playing 2 minutes late in the game and registering one assist.

“Me and my family always said this is the best place we’ve been,” Thomas said. “We said that back in 2014, so hopefully we can make it last longer than what’s expected.”

There are several other reunions on the Suns this season. That includes Kevin Durant and Yuta Watanabe from Brooklyn, before Watanabe was dealt to Memphis; Durant and Royce O’Neale from Brooklyn; Drew Eubanks and Thaddeus Young from San Antonio; Ish Wainright back with Phoenix after playing for Portland since the start of this season. Thomas is back with Phoenix coach Frank Vogel and Bradley Beal.

Thomas played on the Wizards with Beal in the 2019-20 season. Thomas was signed to the Lakers on a 10-day in December 2021, his second stint with the the team when Vogel was its coach.

“He just said stay ready. I said with a smile on my face that I’m always ready," Thomas said about Vogel. "Whether my name’s called or not, I’m making an impact right when the game starts. I’m making an impact when I got here, when I signed today. It’s all about making a positive impact every day.

"Obviously, the goal for this team is to win a championship, so if I can be a little piece of that, a positive piece in that makeup, I’ve done my job.”

Phoenix originally acquired Thomas from Sacramento in a sign-and-trade for Alex Oriakhi in July 2014.

After 46 games played for Phoenix in the 2014-15 season, Thomas was dealt to Boston at the trade deadline. His 10-year timeline thereafter was filled with his career high points and setbacks, fighting for spots in the NBA, just like he entered it as the last overall draft pick by Sacramento in 2011.

He's a two-time All-Star, former MVP candidate, and was an All-NBA selection. He overcame tragedy from the sudden passing of his sister in 2017, which elevated him into Celtic lore just a few days later with his inspiring 53-point outing in the Eastern Conference Semifinals Game 2 win over Washington.

Then his career began to veer off from recurring right hip injuries. Thomas initially tore his labrum in Game 2 of the 2017 East Finals against the LeBron James-led Cleveland Cavaliers, the eventual conference champion. He became the centerpiece of a trade package for Kyrie Irving from Cleveland in July of that year.

At Tuesday's practice, Vogel called Thomas a “winner” for his resilience through his bevy of injuries, namely Thomas’ recurring right hip issues that derailed his career. Thomas became a journeyman in trades, veteran minimums, and signed a flurry of 10-day contracts following his peak with Boston in 2017.

Vogel wanted to bring Thomas on after his recent G League performances (32.5 points per game and hit 25 from the arc at 44.6% through four games for the Salt Lake City Stars), and familiarity of his game.

Thomas, 35, hasn't played in the NBA since he was with Charlotte at the end of the 2021-22 regular season, a team that also gave him a 10-day contract. Thomas said he no longer suffers from daily hip pain after his 2020 surgery.

Vogel explained before Sunday's loss at Milwaukee that he wanted to add Thomas as the Suns' backup point guard because Saben Lee had four games left on his expiring two-way deal. In addition, Vogel reiterated before Wednesday's game that Thomas will not immediately be the eight-man rotation unless there are injuries to open a spot for him to help.

Thomas also played 40 games with Beal in Washington during the 2019-20 season, a team he signed to as a free agent that off-season, before he was dealt to the L.A. Clippers in February 2020.

“It speaks volumes because I’m a huge IT fan from competing against him for so many years when he was in Boston, being his teammate in D.C. as well," Beal said. "I’ve got a chance to see him every single day put the work in, and the challenges that he went through as a player, overcoming some injuries, too, but being able to come back now is very unheard of.

"I commend him, I salute him. He’s always been a worker. He believes in the process, he trusts his work, and that’s just the evolution of today’s game and evolution of who he is. He's always gonna be a hooper."

Everyone loves a great comeback story, but what can Thomas do to help resolve the Suns' deficiencies? The lack of urgency on perimeter defense, rim protection, and fourth-quarter lulls.

Thomas is known for his offense as an on-ball heavy scorer with 17.7-point and 4.8-assist career averages and .434/.362/.872 shooting splits, which Beal said could help as the Suns "need more 3s." Phoenix is 25th in both allowing made 3s and defensive rating in the fourth quarter, as well as dead last in turnover percentage during the final period.

“Obviously, because of his size he’s always been someone you’d like to protect in terms of perimeter isos, and guys trying to post him up, and things like that, but we have protections and plus for that," Vogel said about Thomas in terms of the Suns guarding 3s.

As for being formerly nicknamed "King of the 4th," Thomas wants to defer to the Suns' Big 3 in Beal, Devin Booker and Kevin Durant to help the team close better.

"If they do put me in fourth quarter, it’s the same thing," Thomas said. "My job is to make plays, make the right play, limit our turnovers since that’s something that’s been big for this team. And I feel like I can do a really good job of setting those three guys up, making things easier.

"At the end of the day, you gotta honor who I am on the court. I think most importantly it gives those guys, the Big 3, the main guys, more space to be able to be aggressive, to be able to see more one-on-one coverage.”

This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Suns coach Vogel, Bradley Beal look forward to Isaiah Thomas reunion