Boston Celtics fans got the closure they needed after Isaiah Thomas signed a rest-of-the-season guaranteed deal with the Phoenix Suns less than an hour before the Cs converted big man Neemias Queta’s two-way contract into a guaranteed pact right before the playoffs.
Thomas’s return to Phoenix has been met with little fanfare outside of Boston, where Celtics fans have their most talented and cohesive squad since the peak of the Big Three era. The Cs fanbase showed endless love to Thomas when he signed with the Suns, something Phoenix head coach Frank Vogel has not done since the former King of the Fourth’s debut with the west outfit back on March 20. IT has played 14 minutes total in 2023-24 as of this writing, and he likely isn’t ticketed for any significant minutes in either the playoffs or the NBA Play-In Tournament, something Phoenix may find themselves in if they can’t string together wins down the stretch.
Meanwhile, in Boston, Queta, a player who has worked hard all season and put up respectable numbers (4.6 points, four rebounds) in limited minutes (11 MPG) is now being rewarded with a guaranteed payout right before the playoffs in a morale-boosting move for the locker room.
Isaiah Thomas never would’ve fit on 2023-24 Boston Celtics
Thomas would’ve never had a defined role on the Celtics, and it’s better off Brad Stevens opted against the obvious reunion on paper; but one that would’ve put Joe Mazzulla in an awkward spot when the former playoff hero had no place to begin with and would’ve likely played as little, or even less, minutes in Boston than in Phoenix.
Boston’s bench mob has been an overwhelmingly surprising hit this season, and messing with that chemistry at all could’ve had dire effects. Rolling the dice on Xavier Tillman and Jaden Springer was a risk enough, but those two have been valuable contributors.
Thomas would’ve been a headlines grabber for everything but basketball in Boston. Queta, a player the Celtics have leaned on when injuries forced the team’s depth to be thin, is now an option in the playoffs when the game is tight and buckets are tough to come by. His size is an easy way to generate offense off the glass or via the pick-and-roll lob threat.
The right choice was made, and Celtics fans now have closure heading into the most important postseason in recent history.
