Matthew William Thomas (born August 4, 1994) is an American professional

basketball Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular court, compete with the primary objective of shooting a basketball (approximately in diameter) through the defender's h ...

player for

Panathinaikos Panathinaikos Athlitikos Omilos ( el, Παναθηναϊκός Αθλητικός Όμιλος, literally in English: "Panathenaic Athletic Club" or Panathinaikos A.C.), also known simply as Panathinaikós , is a major Greek multi-sport club ba ...

of the

Greek Basket League The Greek Basket League (GBL), often also referred to as the Greek A1 Basketball League, or Greek Basketball Championship (originally called Panhellenic Basketball Championship), and also known as the Stoiximan Basket League for sponsorship reaso ...

and the EuroLeague. He played

college basketball In United States colleges, top-tier basketball is governed by collegiate athletic bodies including National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA), the United States Collegiate Athleti ...

for the

Iowa State Cyclones The Iowa State Cyclones are the intercollegiate athletic teams that represent Iowa State University, located in Ames. The university is a member of the Big 12 Conference and competes in NCAA Division I, fielding 16 varsity teams (6 men's an ...

before starting his professional career in Europe, then moving to the NBA.

Early life and high school career

Matt Thomas was born in Decatur, Illinois. He grew up in

Onalaska, Wisconsin Onalaska is a city in La Crosse County, Wisconsin, United States. The population was 18,803 at the 2020 census. It borders the larger La Crosse, Wisconsin, and is a part of the La Crosse-Onalaska, WI-MN Metropolitan Area. Onalaska is built on ...

, attending Onalaska High School. His mother had been a standout high school athlete herself. She was a swimmer, softball player, tennis player, and basketball star. She holds the school record for single game scoring at

Wahlert High School Wahlert Catholic High School is a private Roman Catholic high school in Dubuque, Iowa, United States, in the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Dubuque. History During a meeting on June 17, 1955, Archbishop Leo Binz and the pastors of the Dubuque Cath ...

Dubuque, Iowa Dubuque (, ) is the county seat of Dubuque County, Iowa, United States, located along the Mississippi River. At the time of the 2020 census, the population of Dubuque was 59,667. The city lies at the junction of Iowa, Illinois, and Wisconsin, a r ...

, with 48 points. Thomas suffered tragedy at a young age. When he was 9 years old, his father, Greg, who suffered from alcoholism, died of suicide. Because of this Thomas developed a very strong relationship with his mother. Thomas was an outstanding high school basketball player. He was named first-team all-state by the Associated Press as a junior in 2012. He averaged 21.3 points, 5.3 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 2.1 steals in 2012 to lead his team to the Division 2 state championship. Onalaska ended the year with a 27–1 record. Thomas scored 30 points in the state championship game, a 55–38 victory over Kaukauna. His senior year Thomas averaged 28.3 points and 9.7 rebounds, leading his team to the state semifinals and a 24–3 mark, shooting 50.4% percent from the field and 35.8% from beyond the arc. Thomas scored more than 40 points three times, including 41 points in the sectional final and a career-high 50 points in just 2 1/2 quarters vs. Tomah. He participated in the 2013 American Family Insurance High School 3-Point Championship, finishing third. Thomas ended his four-year career as a two-time first-team all-state pick with a 95–12 overall mark and over 2,000 points.

Recruitment

An outstanding scorer, Thomas was considered one of the best shooters in the class of 2013 and one of the best players from Wisconsin. A consensus top-100 national recruit, Thomas was ranked No. 51 by ESPN, No. 54 by

Rivals.com Rivals.com is a network of websites that focus mainly on college football and basketball recruiting in the United States. The network was started in 1998 and employs more than 300 personnel. History Rivals.com was founded in 1998 by Jim Heckma ...

, and No. 58 by

Scout.com Scout Media is an integrated sports publishing company that produces Internet content covering hundreds of professional and college teams across America. The company was founded in 2001 and was acquired by Fox Sports in 2005. In 2013, Fox Sports ...

in the final national rankings. Being highly sought after Thomas eventually chose Iowa State over

Virginia Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States, between the Atlantic Coast and the Appalachian Mountains. The geography and climate of the Commonwealth ar ...

Minnesota Minnesota () is a state in the upper midwestern region of the United States. It is the 12th largest U.S. state in area and the 22nd most populous, with over 5.75 million residents. Minnesota is home to western prairies, now given over to ...

, Boston College and Marquette.

Recruitment profile

College career

Freshman season

Thomas began his true freshman campaign as a starter for Iowa State. He is only the 20th ISU freshman to start a season opener. He started in the first 15 games before being replaced in the starting line-up by

Monte Morris Monte may refer to: Places Argentina * Argentine Monte, an ecoregion * Monte Desert * Monte Partido, a ''partido'' in Buenos Aires Province Italy * Monte Bregagno * Monte Cassino * Montecorvino (disambiguation) * Montefalcione Portugal * Monte ...

. Despite becoming the 6th man, Thomas still appeared in all 36 games that season. Over the season Thomas averaged 5.5 points, scored in double figures eight times, shot 33.6% from behind the arc. He made four three-pointers in games twice during the season. He made a three in 25 games with 44 three-pointers total, which is good enough for second-most by a Cyclone freshman.

Sophomore season

Thomas spent two days in jail following his arrest for an OWI on July 14, 2014. Thomas began his sophomore season serving a three-game suspension.< Due to increased bench depth his sophomore season, Thomas saw a slightly diminished role. He saw action in 32 total games, scoring in double figures nine times. He was third on the team with 32 three-pointers made. Thomas grabbed a career-high eight rebounds and hit 5–6 shots to score 13 points against Alabama in the season opener. He led the Cyclones in scoring for the first time in his career against Lamar, with 14 points. He scored a career-high 17 points at Texas, included 4–6 from the three-point range.

Junior season

Due to the season-ending injury of Naz Long, Thomas moved back into the starting lineup.

Professional career

Obradoiro CAB (2017–2018)

Thomas played for the Los Angeles Lakers 2017 summer league team. He scored 23 points on 8–9 shooting in the summer league title game to help the Lakers to a 110–98 victory. On August 29, 2017, Thomas signed with Monbus Obradoiro of Spain's Liga ACB. In his first professional game of his career, Thomas recorded 21 points in 4-for-5 shooting from three-point line as he helped Obradoiro win against Zaragoza.

Valencia (2018–2019)

On July 11, 2018, Thomas signed a two-year deal with

Valencia Valencia ( va, València) is the capital of the autonomous community of Valencia and the third-most populated municipality in Spain, with 791,413 inhabitants. It is also the capital of the province of the same name. The wider urban area al ...

of Spain's Liga ACB. He had an effective field goal percentage of 99 percent on catch-and-shoot attempts when unguarded, picking up the nickname Mr. 99%.

Toronto Raptors (2019–2021)

On July 19, 2019, Thomas signed with the

Toronto Raptors The Toronto Raptors are a Canadian professional basketball team based in Toronto. The Raptors compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference Atlantic Division. They play their home games a ...

. On October 26, 2019, Thomas made his NBA debut, scoring six points and grabbing three rebounds, in the Raptors 108–84 win over the

Chicago Bulls The Chicago Bulls are an American professional basketball team based in Chicago. The Bulls compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference Central Division. The team was founded on January ...

. On November 25, Thomas suffered a fractured finger on his left hand. He returned to action on January 6, 2020, suiting up on a rehab assignment for the

Raptors 905 The Raptors 905 are a Canadian professional basketball team in the NBA G League based in Mississauga, Ontario, and are affiliated with the Toronto Raptors. Raptors 905 began play in the 2015–16 season and play their home games at Paramount Fi ...

, the Raptors'

NBA G League The NBA G League, or simply the G League, is the National Basketball Association's (NBA) official minor league basketball organization. The league was known as the National Basketball Development League (NBDL) from 2001 to 2005, and the NBA De ...

affiliate. On January 7, Thomas returned to the Raptors lineup recording eight points and a career-high six rebounds in the Raptors' 101–99 loss to the

Portland Trail Blazers The Portland Trail Blazers (colloquially known as the Blazers) are an American professional basketball team based in Portland, Oregon. The Trail Blazers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Western Con ...

. On February 8, Thomas scored a career-high 15 points in a 119–118 win over the

Brooklyn Nets The Brooklyn Nets are an American professional basketball team based in the New York City borough of Brooklyn. The Nets compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference. The ...

. On February 23, Thomas bested his career high with 17 points and five 3-pointers in a 127–81 victory against the Indiana Pacers. In the Raptors’ sixth game returning from the suspension of the season due to the

COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identi ...

on August 10, Thomas scored a career-high 22 points, hitting 4 three-pointers, in a 114–106 win over the

Milwaukee Bucks The Milwaukee Bucks are an American professional basketball team based in Milwaukee. The Bucks compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference Central Division. The team was founded in 1968 ...

in the Orlando bubble.

Utah Jazz (2021)

On March 25, 2021, the Raptors traded Thomas to the

Utah Jazz The Utah Jazz are an American professional basketball team based in Salt Lake City. The Jazz compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Western Conference (NBA), Western Conference, Northwest Division (NBA), ...

for a future second-round draft pick. On April 28, Thomas scored a season-high 17 points on 7-of-7 shooting from the field and 1-of-1 from the three in a 154–105 win over the

Sacramento Kings The Sacramento Kings are an American professional basketball team based in Sacramento, California. The Kings compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Western Conference Pacific Division. The Kings are the oldest ...

. On August 1, he was waived by the Jazz.

Chicago Bulls (2021–2022)

On September 8, 2021, Thomas signed with the

. With 13 players out of the lineup due to

COVID-19 Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a contagious disease caused by a virus, the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The first known case was identified in Wuhan, China, in December 2019. The disease quickly ...

protocols in December, Thomas saw increased playing time. On December 26, he played 19 minutes, scoring five points, in a 113–105 victory over the Indiana Pacers. The following day, he made three critical 3-pointers in 19 minutes on the floor in a 130–118 victory over the

Atlanta Hawks The Atlanta Hawks are an American professional basketball team based in Atlanta. The Hawks compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference Southeast Division. The team plays its home games at ...

Career statistics

NBA

Regular season

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Toronto Toronto ( ; or ) is the capital city of the Canadian province of Ontario. With a recorded population of 2,794,356 in 2021, it is the most populous city in Canada and the fourth most populous city in North America. The city is the anch ...

, 41 , , 1 , , 10.7 , , .487 , , .475 , , .750 , , 1.5 , , .5 , , .2 , , .0 , , 4.9 , - , align=center , , align=left ,

, 26 , , 0 , , 7.4 , , .387 , , .415 , , .857 , , .8 , , .3 , , .1 , , .0 , , 2.7 , - , align=center , , align=left ,

Utah Utah ( , ) is a state in the Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. Utah is a landlocked U.S. state bordered to its east by Colorado, to its northeast by Wyoming, to its north by Idaho, to its south by Arizona, and to it ...

, 19 , , 0 , , 7.1 , , .400 , , .256 , , .857 , , 1.2 , , .5 , , .1 , , .0 , , 3.6 , - , align=center , , align=left ,

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, 40 , , 0 , , 11.5 , , .410 , , .385 , , .800 , , 1.3 , , .5 , , .2 , , .1 , , 4.0 , - class="sortbottom" , style="text-align:center;" colspan="2", Career , 126 , , 1 , , 9.7 , , .433 , , .404 , , .804 , , 1.2 , , .5 , , .2 , , .0 , , 4.0

Playoffs

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, 10 , , 0 , , 8.4 , , .619 , , .417 , , — , , 1.4 , , .7 , , .1 , , .1 , , 3.1 , - , align=left ,

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, 3 , , 0 , , 2.3 , , .000 , , — , , — , , .3 , , .0 , , .0 , , .0 , , .0 , - class="sortbottom" , style="text-align:center;" colspan="2", Career , 13 , , 0 , , 7.0 , , .565 , , .417 , , — , , 1.2 , , .5 , , .1 , , .1 , , 2.4

Liga ACB

, - , align=center , 2017-18 , align=left ,

Obradoiro CAB Obradoiro Clube de Amigos do Baloncesto (lit, Obradoiro Friends of Basketball Club), also known as Monbus Obradoiro for sponsorship reasons, is a professional basketball team based in Santiago de Compostela, Galicia. They currently compete in th ...

, Liga ACB , 30 , , 26.5 , , .472 , , .459 , , .944 , , 2.4 , , 2.4 , , .8 , , .0 , , 15.4 , , , - , align=center , 2018-19 , align=left ,

Valencia Basket Valencia Basket Club S.A.D., commonly known as Valencia Basket (), is a professional basketball team based in Valencia, Spain. The team plays in the Liga ACB and the EuroLeague, with home games played at the Fuente de San Luis. The club is spon ...

, Liga ACB , 29 , , 19.8 , , .512 , , .485 , , .846 , , 1.6 , , 1.6 , , .4 , , .0 , , 11.5 , ,

EuroCup

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, EuroCup , 23 , , 21.7 , , .518 , , .478 , , .909 , , 1.3 , , 1.7 , , .5 , , .0 , , 12.7 , , 10.9

College

, - , style="text-align:left;", 2013–14 , style="text-align:left;", Iowa State , 36 , , 15 , , 21.2 , , .367 , , .336 , , .667 , , 1.1 , , 1.1 , , .6 , , .2 , , 5.5 , - , style="text-align:left;", 2014–15 , style="text-align:left;", Iowa State , 32 , , 0 , , 15.3 , , .368 , , .330 , , .714 , , 2 , , .7 , , .3 , , .1 , , 4.9 , - , style="text-align:left;", 2015–16 , style="text-align:left;", Iowa State , 35 , , 27 , , 33.6 , , .440 , , .432 , , .902 , , 4.4 , , 1.7 , , .8 , , .2 , , 11.0 , - , style="text-align:left;", 2016–17 , style="text-align:left;", Iowa State , 35 , , 35 , , 30.9 , , .477 , , .445 , , .891 , , 3.9 , , 1.7 , , .9 , , .1 , , 12.3 , - class"sortbottom" , style="text-align:center;" colspan="2", Career , 138 , , 77 , , 25.4 , , .427 , , .401 , , .815 , , 3.1 , , 1.3 , , .7 , , .2 , , 8.5

References

External links

Matt Thomas
at acb.com
Matt Thomas
at euroleague.net
Iowa State Cyclones bio

ESPN.com profile
{{DEFAULTSORT:Thomas, Matt 1994 births Living people American expatriate basketball people in Canada American expatriate basketball people in Spain American men's basketball players Baseball players from Illinois Basketball players from Wisconsin Chicago Bulls players Iowa State Cyclones men's basketball players Liga ACB players Obradoiro CAB players People from Onalaska, Wisconsin Shooting guards Sportspeople from Decatur, Illinois Toronto Raptors players Undrafted National Basketball Association players Utah Jazz players Valencia Basket players