Retired - Retired after 2021 season
- Birthdate: 04/24/1988
- Drafted (NBA): Undrafted, 2010
- Pre-draft team: Duke
- Country: USA
- Hand: Right
- Agent: -
| Date | League | Transaction |
|---|---|---|
| 1st November, 2010 | D-League | Drafted 19th overall in the 2010 D-League Draft by Austin Toros. |
| 2nd November, 2011 | D-League | Designated as a returning player by Austin Toros. |
| 9th December, 2011 | NBA | Signed an unguaranteed two year minimum salary contract with New Orleans. Included team option for 2012/13. |
| 31st December, 2011 | NBA | Waived by New Orleans. |
| 4th January, 2012 | D-League | Re-acquired by Austin Toros. |
| 6th February, 2012 | NBA | Signed a 10 day contract with New Orleans. |
| 16th February, 2012 | NBA | Signed a second 10 day contract with New Orleans. |
| 27th February, 2012 | NBA | Signed a partially guaranteed minimum salary contract for the remainder of the season and through 2014 with New Orleans. |
| 10th July, 2013 | NBA | Waived by New Orleans. |
| 21st August, 2013 | NBA | Signed a partially guaranteed two year minimum salary contract with New Orleans. |
| 12th November, 2013 | NBA | Waived by New Orleans. |
| 27th December, 2013 | China | Signed for the remainder of the season with Foshan. |
| 29th September, 2014 | NBA | Signed an unguaranteed one year minimum salary contract with Oklahoma City. |
| 5th January, 2015 | NBA | As a part of a three team deal, traded by Oklahoma City to New York, along with a future first round pick (#26, 2016, Furkan Korkmaz) to Cleveland, in exchange for Dion Waiters from Cleveland. |
| 7th January, 2015 | NBA | Waived by New York. |
| 10th January, 2015 | NBA | Signed a 10 day contract with New York. |
| 21st January, 2015 | NBA | Signed a second 10 day contract with New York. |
| 31st January, 2015 | NBA | Signed a guaranteed minimum salary contract for the remainder of the season with New York. |
| 10th July, 2015 | NBA | Re-signed by New York to a one year, $1,636,842 contract. |
| 8th July, 2016 | NBA | Re-signed by New York to a partiallly guaranteed four year, $27,549,950 contract. |
| 2006 - 2010 | Duke (NCAA) |
| July 2010 | New Jersey Nets (Summer League) |
| November 2010 - December 2011 | Austin Toros (D-League) |
| December 2011 | New Orleans Hornets (NBA) |
| January 2012 - February 2012 | Austin Toros (D-League) |
| February 2012 - November 2013 | New Orleans Hornets/Pelicans (NBA) |
| December 2013 - February 2014 | Foshan (China) |
| July 2014 | Chicago Bulls (Summer League) |
| September 2014 - January 2015 | Oklahoma City Thunder (NBA) |
| January 2015 - present | New York Knicks (NBA) |
September 12, 2018
Although Thomas has now managed seven years in the NBA as a defensive-minded combo forward, who has become a decent-enough open shooter in that time, last season was not his best. The 40.7% three-point shooting drew the eye, but there was very little statistical output or impact on the game elsewhere, and the shooting was on a very low volume. That said, Thomas at his best has a end-of-the-rotation role as a Dante Cunningham, Luc Richard Mbah A Moute type, and if he would like to pursue that on a competitive team down the stretch of the season, the Knicks would surely facilitate that in order to save some money on his otherwise oversized contract. The very same Houston Rockets team that we theorised as being a good home for Luol Deng could perhaps find themselves a Deng-lite here.
June 29, 2017
Lance Thomas
SF/PF, 6’8, 235lbs, 29 years old, 6 years of experience
Had a terrible start to last season in which he seemed to forget where the three-point line was, and in which his signature defence also suffered for a lack of rhythm. Got better throughout the year, injury-related new year blip aside, and was his usual aggressive self on the defensive end again by the end. Thomas also stopped a five year decline in his rebounding rate, although a 7.9% mark is still not good, the fact that he can shoot low volume three-pointers at 44.7% now does not mean he should abandon the offensive glass. Thomas also needs to turn the long twos in threes – sometimes it’s literally just half an inch difference – and be less scared of finishing at the rim. Useful in his role, but it should not be a big role.
Player Plan: Three years and circa. $21.36 million remaining, the last year of which is not guaranteed, Not thrilled with the length of the contract, but the price is OK, and the trade value minimum, so he might as well see it out.
December 13, 2013
Lance Thomas - After a few stints with the Hornets, Thomas is out of the league once again, cut in order to accommodate Josh Childress. A defensive role player with scant little offense, his hustle and fundamentals will keep him on the fringes, yet his lack of skills will likely keep him out.
November 15, 2010
David McClure was once a member of the Toros, and that probably had something to do with this pick. Fellow Dukie Lance Thomas is capable of defending 3's, 4'5 and 5's, and will do a decent job on 1's and 2's if assigned to them on switches - without putting up many stats to prove it, he's a good and versatile defender. But his lack of stattage applies also to the other end of the court. Thomas is not capable of making a mistake, but nor is he capable of making a basket. He's is a 6'9 power forward who can't score or rebound; he is the slightly smaller version of Jarron Collins. That's fine, of course, but it's not NBA material. Ryan Bowen wasn't NBA material either, of course, and he made it for a decade. But lightning tends not to strike twice.
July 2, 2010
Mike Shasheffski think Lance Thomas can play in the NBA. But he's the only one who does. Thomas is defensively versatile, able to guard both forward spots, the bigger centres, and perform admirably on guards when switching. However, that's about it. He just can't score, he just can't dribble, and he just doesn't rebound. Ryan Bowen got by for many years on much the same skill set, but he shouldn't have done, and nor should Lance Thomas. He'll make money somewhere, but not in the NBA.
And anyway, how do you get Shasheffski from Krzyzewski?