Officially signed! Goodbye, Rockets! Hello, Giannis!

Bucks official announcement:They have signed Cameron Thomas.

Thomas, born on October 13, 2001, is a 1.91-meter versatile guard holding dual American and Japanese nationality. Selected 27th overall in the 2021 draft, he has played with big names like Duren and Oden on the Nets and now teams up with the East’s premier star Giannis on the Bucks.

After Thomas was waived by the Nets, the Rockets, short on backcourt players, showed interest in signing him but ultimately missed out...

This guy’s strength lies in being a natural elite scorer. His weakness is that scoring is all he can do. In the 23-24 season, he averaged 22.5 points per game, and in 24-25, 24 points per game. During the 22-23 season, he had an incredible streak of three consecutive 40+ point games (44, 47, and 43 points). When he’s in form, he can single-handedly carry a team.

However, as mentioned, Thomas’s game is limited to scoring only,averaging 15.2 points, 2.5 rebounds, 2.2 assists, and 1.5 turnovers in 23.3 minutes per game over his NBA career so far.His shooting percentages stand at 43.5% from the field, 34.3% from three, and 85.8% from the free-throw line. For a guard, averaging only 2.2 assists while committing 1.5 turnovers per game is quite low.

Moreover, due to his physique and limited effort, Thomas has a defensive rating of 125.6 this season, ranking 315th in the league—almost at the bottom. Since he can’t consistently deliver historic scoring performances nor contribute on defense, calling such a player a “liability” is not an exaggeration.

As for why the Bucks signed Thomas, it’s precisely because they value his offensive skills. So far this season, the team averages 112 points per game (27th in the league) with an offensive rating of 113.0 (24th). They are willing to take a chance, and if it doesn’t work out, they can part ways during the summer offseason.

In the Bucks’ offense-starved system, Thomas is expected to get ample opportunities to showcase his talents and potentially unlock his full potential, boosting his stats to secure a big contract in the upcoming free agency. Over five NBA seasons, he has earned approximately $16.45 million in total salary.