29. San Antonio – Isiah Thomas
Isiah Thomas was a team-first player who gave it all for his guys all the time. Thomas famously sprained his ankle during Game 6 against the Los Angeles Lakers and gutted it out in one of the best NBA moments of all time.
That guy, who was willing to risk his own health and ignore the pain he was obviously in for the good of the team, was born to be a San Antonio Spur. With Tony Parker getting old and Patty Mills hitting free agency, the stage couldn’t be better set for Thomas to join the Spurs going forward.
In addition to his intangibles, Thomas was a dynamic point guard during his prime years with the Pistons. He was an All-Star in 12 of his 13 NBA seasons, and averaged 19.2 points, 9.3 assists, 3.6 rebounds and 1.9 steals per game. There’s a real case that Thomas is one of the best few point guards of all time.
In the 1984-85 season, Thomas averaged an NBA-leading 13.9 assists per game while also scoring 21.2 points. Despite going up against incredibly tough competition in the 1980s and ’90s, Thomas’ Pistons won two titles, a testament to both their will and skill.
Seeing Kawhi Leonard get a teammate on his level would be a nice change from watching him play with LaMarcus Aldridge, although both San Antonio forwards would doubtlessly benefit from having Isiah Thomas serving as floor general.