After a game with the Dallas Mavericks, former All-Star guard Isaiah Thomas entered NBA health and safety protocols on Thursday.

Thomas signed a tough 10-day deal on Wednesday to replace Brandon Knight, another addition to the hardship deal that entered league protocols after testing positive for COVID-19.

Thomas, whose 10-day contract with the Los Angeles Lakers expired earlier this week, said he was grocery shopping near his Seattle home Wednesday morning when Mavs General Manager Nico Harrison called to ask if he could play in Sacramento that night. . He quickly booked a flight and arrived in Sacramento just four hours earlier.

“I was like, hell, I can play tonight!” Thomas said after scoring six points and providing four assists in 13 minutes during the Mufs’ 95-94 loss to the Sacramento Kings. I entered the court. Play. “I’m already back home from Los Angeles [el martes]. It was a lot, but I’m cut off from this. I am ready for that. I am grateful for the opportunity. And it was a no-brainer question.”

However, Thomas’ stay with the Mavs could only last one game, with the team optimistic that several players will be back soon and Thomas’ 10-day contract will likely expire while he is in league protocols. Mavs currently have eight players in protocols.

Thomas, 32, was a two-time All-Star with the Boston Celtics before a serious thigh injury derailed his career. He’s spent most of the past two seasons outside the league, playing a total of seven games in 10-day deals with the New Orleans Pelicans in April and the Lakers this month.