Isaiah Thomas has seen more than his fair share of NBA locker rooms. It’s rare that a two-time All-Star gets traded four times before turning 30, but Thomas, the 60th overall pick in the 2011 draft, has spent a career making people look foolish for overlooking him.

Former Suns GM Ryan McDonough admits he wishes he could take a “mulligan” on trading Thomas to the Celtics in 2015, and Celtics coach Brad Stevens confessed that moving Thomas for Kyrie Irving in 2017 was emotional for “all the households in Boston.”

Thomas’ career, due largely to his surgically repaired hip, veered off its All-NBA trajectory as the former MVP candidate underwent a merciless 2017-’18 season coupled with the churn of NBA transactions. The trades — first to Cleveland, and then to Los Angeles — left him exhausted.

“For my wife and my family, it’s definitely been difficult,” he said. “At the end of the day, I’m human. I’ve been three places in less than one year, so it’s like, I’m tired of moving.”

Despite his troublesome right hip that required surgery in March, Thomas landed in Denver with a coach who values him and a culture that needs him, and should soon be getting him back on the court. Michael Malone coached Thomas with the Kings for the 2013-’14 season and quickly established an honest line of communication with his talented, underdog point guard.

“He wanted to start,” Malone recalled. “I didn’t start him in Sacramento. I started Greivis Vasquez. I said ‘It’s not what’s best for Isaiah; it’s what’s best for our team. And you’re going to close a lot of games,’ and he did.”

Rather than pigeonhole Thomas as a pass-first guard in the mold of John Stockton, Malone empowered him as a 5-foot-9 scorer and embraced his game for what it was. Thomas averaged a then-career-high 20.3 points under Malone, underscoring their rapport. That bond, connected by text messages as each wound their way through their respective NBA paths, led Thomas back to Malone this offseason in free agency.

“In this league, a lot of people will tell you what you want to hear, he’s a guy that tells you what you need to hear,” Thomas said.

“Shout me out, coach!” Thomas yelled, emerging from the Nuggets’ home locker room as Malone conducted an otherwise mundane news conference earlier this season.

When Malone wryly obliged, it was a reminder of why the Nuggets brought Thomas to Denver. They value his voice, his experience, his leadership and his unabashed confidence even as he’s had to painstakingly watch the Nuggets get off to a hot start without him. Malone readily admits his team is too quiet. Thomas, upon hearing his name being discussed during a recent shootaround in Milwaukee, couldn’t help himself, and he blew up another interview in similar fashion. It’s at least the third time he’s done it this season, a not-so-subtle reminder of the jolt he brings even while rehabbing his injured hip.

“He’s a talker,” Jamal Murray said. “There you go. There’s your answer right there. He’s just loud. Smallest dude, but he’s the loudest dude. He makes sure everybody hears him.”

Thomas’ opinions are invaluable to Malone. The coach, who has implored guys like Murray, Gary Harris and Nikola Jokic to be more vocal, will often open up film sessions and ask his players what they’re seeing.

“‘Do you have something to say, do you see something?’ ” says point guard Monte Morris, reiterating Malone’s questions. “Every time IT has something.”

Thomas, having carried the Celtics to the Eastern Conference Finals during the 2016-’17 season while playing through unimaginable heartache following the death of his sister, Chyna, commands a level of respect like few others in the Nuggets locker room. Paul Millsap, the only Nuggets player over 30, has also reached the conference finals, but his style of leadership is more subdued and never for the cameras.

“To have his voice in our locker room, to help some of these younger guys out, it takes a lot of load off myself,” Millsap said.

Thomas hardly had a teaching role with the Cavs playing alongside LeBron James, and his 17 games with the Lakers last season didn’t afford him time to grow roots in the locker room. This season, though he’s largely been relegated to post-practice shooting contests to go along with his daily rehab, Thomas has embraced being a mentor. It was hardly surprising to see Thomas on Friday morning challenge third-year guard Malik Beasley to a 3-point shooting contest ahead of the Nuggets’ game at Portland.

“He’s probably annoyed at me because I ask him so many questions,” said Beasley. “He’s been through it all. Last pick to MVP candidate. He’s seen it all.”

Thomas, who is targeting a return some time this month, has had to channel his energy into being a leader in practices, on the sidelines and in huddles. It’s also not uncommon to see him jawing with opponents during games, his suited frame teeming with animation.

“I see Isaiah’s true personality at times, but I also see there are times where he’s frustrated,” Malone said. “Some guys when they’re out and they’re not playing, they’re okay with that. We have two guys in Will Barton and Isaiah Thomas, it’s killing both of those guys not to be able to play.”

When they do come back – Thomas from his hip surgery and Barton from surgery to repair hip and core muscles – the Nuggets will add offensive reinforcements to a team that’s already exceedingly deep. The Nuggets’ bench unit has the third-best net-rating at plus-2.8 in the NBA; adding a healthy Thomas would give the Nuggets a dynamic backcourt scorer off the bench and a proven fourth-quarter closer.

It might mean limiting Morris’ minutes even though the de-facto rookie has shattered expectations. But the NBA is a hierarchy.

“I score the ball with the best of them,” Thomas said. “I know when I’m healthy it’s going to be hard to take me off the floor.”

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