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Former Hornets guard claims a return to Charlotte was attempted

ByJames Mastrucci|
Mar 21, 2022; Charlotte, North Carolina, USA; Charlotte Hornets guard Isaiah Thomas (4) and center Montrezl Harrell (8) help forward Jalen McDaniels (6) to his feet during the second quarter against the New Orleans Pelicans at Spectrum Center. Mandatory Credit: Jim Dedmon-USA TODAY Sports
Mar 21, 2022; Charlotte, North Carolina, USA; Charlotte Hornets guard Isaiah Thomas (4) and center Montrezl Harrell (8) help forward Jalen McDaniels (6) to his feet during the second quarter against the New Orleans Pelicans at Spectrum Center. Mandatory Credit: Jim Dedmon-USA TODAY Sports

Could the Charlotte Hornets have seen the return of a former guard in a role to backup LaMelo Ball? It appears at least to have been tossed out there as something that was attempted, according to Isaiah Thomas.

The Former Charlotte Hornets point guard claimed via Twitter/X that he reached out to Charlotte Hornets general manager and president of basketball operations Mitch Kupchak. This came during an exchange that saw a user respond to a post from Thomas and suggest that he should contact Kupchak to be a backup in Charlotte, with Thomas responding with the following.

While Thomas claims to have reached out, just how far he got in his quest to return to the NBA via Charlotte is not necessarily known. These could have been conversations that advanced beyond the initial inquiry. When approached, the decision-makers in Charlotte could have also given him the thanks but no thanks routine and moved on to their next piece of business. Considering that Thomas is still a free agent, it would point to Kupchak and the Hornets passing on the opportunity to bring him back into the fold.

It would not have been the biggest stretch to imagine Thomas back in a Hornets uniform this season. Charlotte brought in a couple of veteran guards to add to their roster this past offseason in Frank Ntilikina and the recently brought back Ish Smith. Charlotte obviously wanted someone with experience to be behind Ball on the depth chart based on these additions. An argument can be made that Thomas should have been considered for one of these roster spots, but they were more interested in the services of others.

Thomas appeared in 17 games for the Hornets during the 2021-22 season, averaging 8.3 points, 1.4 assists, and 1.4 rebounds in 12.9 minutes per game off the bench. The now 34-year-old also appeared in four games for the Los Angeles Lakers that season, in addition to making a single appearance for the Dallas Mavericks before signing with Charlotte.

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