Washington—Washington Wizards guard Isaiah Thomas, twice an NBA All-Star, will be sidelined for six to eight weeks after undergoing successful surgery Wednesday on his left thumb.
The operation to repair a rupture of the radial collateral ligament of the thumb was required after Thomas suffered the injury during a routine pre-season workout on Monday.
If the recovery timetable is accurate, the 30-year-old American will miss the first one to three weeks of the 2019-20 campaign as well as the entire pre-season, losing crucial time with new teammates after signing with the Wizards as a free agent last July.
“This was an unfortunate setback for Isaiah, but with his resolve and the top care he will receive from our medical team, we expect him to make a full recovery,” Wizards general manager Tommy Sheppard said in a statement.
“In the meantime, he will continue to mentor our young guards and have a positive impact on the team as we start training camp.”
Thomas has played for six clubs in eight seasons, making All-Star backcourt appearances with Boston in 2016 and 2017, averaging a career-best 28.9 points in the 2016-17 campaign.
Thomas played only 12 games for Denver last season, missing the first 56 games of the season with a nagging hip injury he suffered in the 2017 playoffs for Boston. He underwent right hip surgery in 2018.