Isaiah Thomas, the fearless 5-foot-9-inch point guard who captivated fans at TD Garden and became one of the most beloved Celtics of this century, has rejoined the organization that helped turn him into a superstar.
According to league sources, Thomas has been hired as a pro and college scout for the Celtics. He will be based in the Seattle area, his hometown, giving president of basketball operations Brad Stevens reinforcements on the West Coast.
The team’s regional scouting staff includes former Hawks executive Derek Pierce, who is based in the Atlanta area, and Keandre Ashley, who is in Dallas. Benas Matkevicius leads the Celtics’ international scouting operation.
Sources said Thomas, 37, has joined Celtics executives at the NBA Combine this week in Chicago, where he has helped interview draft prospects while also learning about the overall evaluation process.
Thomas was acquired from the Suns in February 2015 and almost instantly revitalized the Celtics, becoming a cornerstone of their swift rebuild. Stevens has credited him with helping establish the culture that turned the Celtics into one of the NBA’s most successful franchises of the past decade.
Thomas was an All-Star in 2015-16, and 2016-17, when he also finished fifth in MVP voting and was named second-team All-NBA. Along the way, he captured the hearts of the fan base with his relentless style of play that belied his size.
But in the spring of 2017, he played through a significant hip injury for much of the playoffs before being shut down for the final three games of the loss to the Cavaliers in the Eastern Conference finals.
That August, Thomas was traded to Cleveland in the deal that brought Kyrie Irving to Boston. Hip issues plagued Thomas for the rest of his career. Over a seven-year span he had stints with the Cavaliers, Lakers (twice), Nuggets, Wizards, Pelicans, Mavericks, Hornets, and Suns. Thomas last played in the NBA during the 2023-24 season, when he appeared in six games for Phoenix.
Adam Himmelsbach can be reached at adam.himmelsbach@globe.com. Follow him @adamhimmelsbach.
