Unveiling the Nets' sudden decision to waive Thomas: Outstanding offense but poor defense — will the Lakers really sign him?

On February 7th Beijing time, the Nets’ recent unexpected move to waive Cam Thomas has attracted much attention from fans. Why did they suddenly cut this scorer? The Athletic’s reporter Vorkunov revealed the following—

Last offseason, a major NBA topic was the rise of a new “betting on yourself” philosophy among restricted free agents, and Brooklyn Nets’ 6-foot-4 high-scoring guard Cam Thomas was a prime example of this approach. Facing a quiet market, he declined other offers and chose to accept the Nets’ qualifying offer, signing a one-year $6 million contract to stay.

However, just months later, this seemingly controlling decision completely fell apart. According to league sources, right after the trade deadline, the Nets officially waived Thomas.Despite being only 24 years old and averaging 21.4 points over 115 games in the past three seasons, Thomas’s trade market remained dry..

The Nets tried to find a new team for him but never received suitable offers. Sources revealed that the team discussed a trade with the Cavaliers involving Lonzo Ball, planning to send Ball to Brooklyn, but negotiations failed; even if the deal had gone through, Thomas likely would not have stayed in Cleveland. Ultimately, Ball was traded to the Utah Jazz as a salary-dumping move by the Cavaliers. Now Thomas can only enter free agency to seek a new team and secure his long-term career prospects.

The nature of this gamble is that there is always a risk of failure—this is exactly what Thomas has faced this season.

His predicament is, in some ways, both a realistic challenge to the restricted free agent system and a reflection of his own value struggles on the court.The path for restricted free agents has become increasingly difficult. Under the current collective bargaining agreement, teams are more cautious with every dollar and reluctant to offer long-term contracts to players whose abilities are uncertain. Thomas was not the only one coldly received last offseason: Kuminga, Giddey, and Grimes faced similar issues, and Kuminga was recently traded after a deadlock on a long-term extension with the Warriors.

Thomas initially chose to stay in Brooklyn to maintain control over his career. “I want to have control over my situation,” he said just before this season started. “As a player, that’s the kind of control you want over your own circumstances.”

This season, however, did not go as expected for Thomas. Even though his offensive skills remain useful, the team made it clear early on that he is not part of their core future lineup.

Michael Porter Jr. broke out in Brooklyn, quickly becoming the Nets’ offensive centerpiece; rookie Yegor Jemine secured a starting spot. Meanwhile, injuries constantly troubled Thomas, and his shooting numbers dropped significantly—his effective field goal percentage hit a career low, and his scoring average fell back to the teens.

In fact, Thomas is seen as a highly controversial player by opposing scouts and league executives.He is a guard with extremely high usage rates and outstanding scoring talent, always stepping up to score in clutch moments; however, his defense has consistently been subparand throughout his career, only in one season did the Nets perform better when he was on the court than when he was off it.

Being waived now carries a certain irony: last offseason, he struggled as a restricted free agent to finalize a new deal, and now, even midseason, he can freely seek a new team and truly see how the market values him.Earlier, Lakers reporter Woike stated that the Lakers are focused on the buyout market and are interested in acquiring Thomas.Will he ultimately wear the purple and gold? Let’s wait and see.